


A Link Between Two Fates

by penguinlover_7



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Angst, Anxiety, Blood, Combat, Explicit Language, F/M, Fluff, Hylian reader - Freeform, Injury, Masturbation, Near Death Experiences, Orphan Reader, Reader-Insert, Smut, Stress, Touch-Starved, slowburn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-01
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-01-16 14:58:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 23
Words: 45,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21273080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/penguinlover_7/pseuds/penguinlover_7
Summary: The Hero of Hyrule, Link, wakes up after 100 years without any past memories. Suddenly, he’s given the heavy task of defeating Calamity Ganon and saving the world. Luckily, he meets you, and you decide to help him along his journey. (The same events of Breath of the Wild are occurring, but with more events added to it).





	1. Open Your Eyes

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! I really love video games (especially this one) and I’ve been meaning to write this story. I’m a sucker for Link... enjoy!

There is darkness. Then, there is light. 

The sky is brilliantly blue and mostly clear from any clouds. You listen closely to the world you are in. The sound of leaves rustling from the cool breeze surrounding you is all too familiar but never exhausting. It’s relaxing—almost _ too _ relaxing. You just might fall asleep again underneath the tall tree looming above. 

Yawning, you wipe the sleep out of your eyes and sit up. Your home is in sight and only just a couple of minutes away, but you don’t want to return just yet. There’s not exactly much to do in Kakariko village, and not many people you can speak to. Paya is _ one _ friend. 

_ No, I think I’ll take a walk. _ You get up from the ground and take the large cloth you were resting on with you. You brush pieces of grass off with your hand, fold it neatly, and put it away in your traveling bag. 

Taking one last glance at the village below, you swing your bag over your shoulder and start heading in the opposite direction. You’ve never gone too far from home of course, but today, you wanted to walk around and see what you could find. Perhaps you could see the Temple of Time again and pray to Hylia’s statue.

That particular area is usually very empty and without people, so you didn’t think it was necessary to bring your bow and quiver. However, you could never be too careful, so you made sure to keep your small dagger around your waist, ready to be drawn.   
  
  


After a little while of sightseeing and walking, you finally see the Temple of Time standing tall in the distance. It’s not the same as it used to be: it’s old and tattered with broken parts and moss hanging off of its outer walls. Still, despite its worn-out appearance, you know of its importance. 

Growing up, your parents have told you of the countless tales of the Hero of Time and how he was able to travel backwards and forwards in time. He defeated Ganon, but now he’s back. In the far, far edge of the horizon, you see a reddish black darkness engulfing Hyrule Castle as if it were its prey. The hairs on your body stand up at the terrifying sight. Calamity Ganon was a horribly dark and evil _ thing_. 

Tearing your gaze away, you keep on trudging towards the Temple of Time. You head up the ragged steps and get closer to the entrance. 

There’s someone inside. Quickly, you hide behind the wall next to the opening, heart pounding. The mysterious person’s back was facing you, so there’s no way that you would’ve been spotted. Elder Impa always says to be wary of danger even when it’s not present. You never know. 

You peak quickly and realize that the figure is a Hylian boy, and judging by his height, he looks around your age—younger than an adult. He has long golden hair that rests on his shoulders and golden skin. He’s wearing faded brown trousers and a beige shirt. You don’t _ think _ you’ve ever seen him before, but that doesn’t mean he’s not a threat. He could be a Yiga clan member in disguise. 

_ No, I doubt it,_ you thought. Why would a Yiga clan member be this far north anyway? Gerudo Desert is _ quite _ the trip. 

However, the more your eyes scan his body, the less of a threat he seems. There’s no weapon visibly on him, and he doesn’t give you the impression that he’s suspicious. You rest your hand on your dagger and reveal yourself.

“Are you lost?” you ask him, and when he turns around, you almost forget what you just said. 

He’s _ beautiful_. His eyes are the prettiest shade of blue you’ve ever seen, and he has piercings of the same color. He has incredibly attractive features—you can’t help staring at him for a moment.

The mystery boy doesn’t say anything. Instead, he just stares right back at you. His eyes are intimidating, but he doesn’t have an intimidating face. Instead, he has a rather kind appearance. It’s strange. 

“Um… did you hear me?” you question, and once again, he doesn’t respond. Maybe he’s deaf, or maybe he simply can’t speak. “Are you mute?”

“No,” he says finally, and his voice captivates you like no other. It’s smooth and it suits him perfectly. 

You nod, not knowing what else to say. Whoever this boy is, he is _ cute_. Maybe he’s from Hateno village, or even further south. “I’ve never seen you around before,” you comment. “Do you need to get somewhere?”

He nods at your question. “Kakariko village.”

You fight a smile that wants to make its way onto your face. _ He gets to come back with me! _

“Oh! Well, I’m actually from there, so I can take you if you want. Is that okay?”

He nods. You notice that this boy is particularly quiet. 

“Follow me,” you say, and he does. The two of you exit the temple, and you glance back at the statue of Hylia one last time. Something feels strange, and you don’t exactly know what it is, but you ignore it and keep walking. 

You come across an apple tree on the side of the path to Kakariko village, so you approach it. “Give me a minute. I’m going to get some apples.” You stand on your tippy toes to reach the red fruit. You pull a few and put them away inside your bag. Once you’re finished, you continue on the path with the boy by your side.

After a couple of minutes of silence, you realize that you don’t even know his name. If he’s going to be in Kakariko village (for whatever reason), you’d like to know what to call him. You have lots of questions, but you know it’s rude to ask many. You decide to stick with the most important one: “What’s your name?”

He pauses for a moment. You find that odd—it’s as if he doesn't know his own name.

“Link,” he says.


	2. A Friend

“Link,” he says. 

Your lips parted with shock, and your eyes widened slightly. Did you even hear him correctly? _ There’s no way… _You can’t help but stare at him for a second before echoing his ‘name’. “...Link?”

He nods and you’re still not convinced. Is he _ coincidentally _ named Link, or is he _ actually _ Link? If he is, that would mean he’s the legendary hero who wields the Master Sword, and Princess Zelda’s appointed knight. 

However, despite your doubts, his appearance is _ too _ familiar now that you really look at him. Elder Impa had given you a physical description of him, and it matches perfectly with the boy you’re currently facing. 

Could it be? Is it _ really _ possible that this is Link? He’s _ finally _ awake?

“Are you messing with me?” you ask, and he gives you a look of moderate bewilderment in response. He cocks his head to the side and lifts an eyebrow. “Wait here…” you order, and quickly speed-walk away from him. 

You make your way up the hill where the temple stands. Then, you move past it and head for the Shrine of Resurrection, where the Hero’s body was placed 100 years ago when he was dangerously near death. 

Impa had shown you the shrine’s location on your map, so it didn’t take too long for you to find it. 

You find a small opening into a mountain. _ This is it. _ The Hero was locked in here, asleep, and nobody was able to get in. A device called a _ Sheikah Slate _had to be utilized to open the door, and only the Hero himself had one in his possession. Laying your palm on the hilt of your dagger, you walk inside slowly.

The walls are filled with little lights and patterns that you’ve seen before. This is the work of the Sheikah. The patterns on the walls resemble those of constellations, and you find yourself smiling at the pretty designs. 

The cave is smaller than you thought. There is a little cliff that you climb down from, which is then followed by a staircase. You come across an opening into a large room, and strangely, it’s a dead end.

Is _ this _ the room? You look around, and there’s nothing in sight. Where’s the door? you wonder, and once you see a small pedestal beside the wall, you realize that the Sheikah Slate would be of use for that. 

The hero is nowhere to be found. In the center of the room, there is an empty platform where the Hero was once slumbering upon. A few drops of liquid remain on the platform, but there’s nothing else there. This boy was indeed telling the truth. 

You exit the cave and find the boy standing there beside the entrance. Once he hears your footsteps, he turns his head to meet your gaze. “You’re… Link…” you admit and he nods. “You… were in there.” You point your finger to the cave. He nods again. Happily, you laugh lightly. “That’s amazing… When did you wake up? Today?” 

“Yes.”

“Why do you need to speak with Impa?”

“The King told me.”

You blinked. “The King? That doesn’t make any sense… the King is… gone.”

“He is,” Link agrees. 

Not fully understanding him, you quirk an eyebrow. “Okay, well… I need to get you to Kakariko. Do you have all of your things?” Your eyes scan his body for equipment, but he doesn’t have anything on him. “Wait, is that a Sheikah Slate?” 

He looks down at the rectangular object hooked onto his belt. It has the large eye symbol on it. “It was in the room. It opened the door.”

You nod and grin at the cool device. “Wait a minute, where’s your sword?”

He gives you another confused look. Personally, you didn’t think the legendary Hero would be so clueless. 

“The Master Sword. You know, the only sword that’s able to seal Ganon away?”

“I don’t… have it.”

You wonder how he lost it, or what happened to it. “That’s alright, um, we should probably go then.”

Link nods and follows you as you lead the way. Kakariko village is just a little far away from here, so you try not to take too long. 

Because you left for your walk in the afternoon, you arrive at the village entrance with Link by sunset. In a slight hurry, you guide Link towards the massive home in which Impa, her granddaughter, and you reside in. Cado and Dorian, the two men who stand in front of the staircase below the building, however, stop you and Link in your tracks.

“Cado, we’re in a hurry,” you say. 

“Y/n, who is this stranger beside you?” Cado questions. “We can’t let unfamiliar faces enter into Elder Impa’s home.”

“Do you see the device on his hip?”

Cado’s eyes scan Link’s body, and they widen once he realizes that it’s a Sheikah Slate. “Is that?!”

“Yep,” you smirk. 

Dorian stares at Link as well. “Does that mean that he’s…?”

You nod. “Yep. Now can we go?”

“We apologize for our behavior,” Cado says with a sheepish look. “You may pass.”

“Thank you,” you reply, and take Link up the stairs beside you. You’re the first one to open the door to enter. Impa, who is sitting on a pillow across the hall from you, looks up from the floor. “Hi, Impa,” you greet. “I… have someone who needs to speak with you. It’s important.”

Impa nods and urges for you to continue. You then step to the side for Link to go inside, and close the door behind him.

An amused smirk spreads across Impa’s face. You’re guessing that’s a good sign, and that she recognizes Link. “Well, look who’s finally awake.”

“So this _ is _ him?” you ask, seeking final confirmation.

She nods slowly. “Oh, yes. It is _ indeed _ him.”

You glance at Link to read his expression, and he still seems a little clueless. Maybe the 100 years he spent sleeping cleared his mind a bit. 

“Surely you remember me, yes?” Impa inquires, and Link is speechless. A frown appears on her face. “No?”

Link doesn’t say anything at all. Instead he glances at the floor and back up at Impa again. 

_ He doesn’t remember. _

“Uh, Impa,” you interrupt, “Maybe he has a bit of amnesia...” You turn to him. “Do you remember Princess Zelda? Impa said you two were very close.

“Her voice woke me,” Link explains. “The King told me about her. Her face… I don’t know.”

You slightly cringe at his confession. He doesn’t remember at _ all _. He doesn’t remember falling in battle. He doesn’t remember Princess Zelda. He doesn’t remember Impa, or the Champions, or any of the events that occurred before he was placed in the Shrine of Resurrection. 

It must be both frustrating and frightening to be in his current situation. You couldn’t even _ imagine _ losing your memories and then being given the nearly impossible task of defeating a deadly and dark demon. Is Link _ okay _ with this?

Impa ponders for a moment before asking, “I see… So you have lost your memory. But you _ do _ know of your destiny, yes?”

Link nods. “Yes.” His expression is blank, so you’re not able to identify any form of fear. 

He is _ quite _ courageous after all. 

“Princess Zelda has given me a task. She told me to leave you with these words when you awoke from your slumber.”

Link approaches her to listen better. He sits on the floor across from her. 

“‘Free the four Divine Beasts’. That is what she said.” Impa then proceeds to explain the history of the Sheikah, the Divine Beasts, and the Guardians. She describes how Ganon was able to seize control of such machines and inventions to strengthen his army. You had heard all of this before, so it was no surprise to you, but it _ did _ always manage to give your body chills. Ganon was a truly powerful… _ thing._

Link was given information regarding the locations of these Divine Beasts. Because of his lack of memories, you wondered how he would be able to do all of this on his own. 

Then, it hit you. You had the perfect idea. _ You _ could be the one to guide Link on his journey. It sounded like a dream—helping the Hero save the world. (And not to mention the fact that you were crushing on him a little bit). You have a map; you know where to go. Sure, you had never gone further than the Great Plateau, where Link woke up, but you could do it. 

Once Impa was finished, you shyly suggested your idea to her. “Impa?” She turns her head to meet your gaze. “Could I go with him?” Now it’s Link’s turn to look at you. Luckily, he doesn’t seem to be bothered by your request.

Impa pauses to think about it. She knew you had been longing for something more than the life you are currently living. Your parents were gone from this world—killed by Ganon’s Guardians, so she felt sorry for you. You had nothing more to lose. “Why don’t you ask Link how he feels about it?”

_ Damnit_. With embarrassment, you lock eyes with Link. “Is that okay?” 

He nods, and for the first time today, you see him smile. It may have been a very small and closed-mouthed smile, but it was a smile nonetheless. It was beautiful. 

You sighed a quiet sigh of relief. “Thank you… Oh shoot!” you suddenly exclaim. “Link hasn’t eaten in a century! I completely forgot! You’re probably starving, I’m sorry!”

Impa laughs. “Why don’t you and Paya help make some dinner for Link? We can all eat as well.”

You nod and swiftly leave the main hall to a supply room. “Yep!” 

Once you’re out of sight, Impa whispers, “I know you prefer to work alone sometimes. Are you sure you’re alright with her tagging along?

Link nods genuinely. “She’s a friend.”

Impa smiles to herself. _ They’ve just met today and they’re already friends? _she thinks. “A friend,” she echoes. “That’s wonderful.”


	3. Helping Hand

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a clarification: both the reader and Link are 17 years old. Throughout the entire story, they will both age and eventually turn 18.

From the supply closet, you gather some food and rest it on a table. Then, you make your way upstairs and knock on Paya’s bedroom door. 

“Come in!” her muffled voice calls, and you open the door. You find her sitting at her desk, writing in her diary. “Hi, Y/n, do you need anything?”

“Actually I do. Could you help me make dinner?” you ask politely, and she nods with a contagious grin.

“Of course!” Paya gets up and shuts her journal. 

“But first,” you pause, “There’s someone downstairs that you need to meet. A boy.”

Paya frowns. “Oh…” she says hopelessly, her voice frail and full of fear. “A boy…”

“Hey…” you rub her shoulder as a way of comforting her. “Just relax! Well, he _ is _ very important, so don’t forget your manners of course.”

She gives you another look of bashfulness. Ignoring it, you shake your head and grab her hand. 

“It’s okay! Let’s go.”

You lead Paya down the stairs and into the main hall where Impa and Link are sitting. He gets up from the floor once he hears more than one pair of footsteps approaching.

“This is Impa’s granddaughter, Paya,” you introduce, and Link and her lock eyes. You notice that she’s quick to blush and avert her gaze. _ Uh oh._ “Paya, this is Link.”

Paya glances at you. “...Link?” she asks hesitantly, because she knows _ exactly _ who has that name, and you nod slowly. “Um… n-nice to… meet you, Link…”

“Nice to meet you,” Link repeats, and Paya simply fiddles with her fingers nervously. 

She may have just met him, but you know that she is _ definitely _crushing on Link. Not that you’re any different…

You break the awkward tension in the air. “Paya, let's make dinner, okay?”

She nods and follows you to the kitchen.

“She’s very shy with boys around her age,” Impa says quietly to Link, chuckling.   
  


Once you shut the kitchen door behind you, you hear a loud sigh of relief from Paya. She places her hands on her red cheeks. “I was _ actually _ able to finish my sentence… Y/n?”

You grin behind her back with amusement and begin to gather some vegetables. “Hmm?”

“Master Link is very… _ handsome…_” she confesses, and you _ knew _ she was falling for the gallant hero. “His eyes are so brilliantly blue and his hair is just—_wow_…”

“Really?” you question, chuckling falsely. You don’t know why, but you felt a twinge of jealousy creep up on you. 

_ Relax_, you chided yourself. _ He’s not yours. _

“Yes...” she says dreamily, and you start to cut a carrot to distract yourself. 

“Ooh, nice,” you tease. “I’m going to make the soup that Impa likes,” you change the subject, “Could you get some meat cooking?”

Paya nods her head. “I’ll get right on it.”

  
  
You and Paya prepare quite a large feast for Link. The two of you make Beef Stew with vegetables, Mushroom Rice Balls, and Apple Pie for dessert. 

The way Link practically breathed in all of the food shocked you. He ate _ everything _ that was placed in front of him. You dislike certain foods like any person does, but not him. Not at all. He wasn’t picky in the least bit. Sitting beside him at the dinner table, you couldn’t help but stare at his speedy consumption of food.

“Link, you should probably slow down…” you said as politely as possible and took a sip of your drink. “You could get a stomachache.”

Link turns his head towards you with his cheeks puffy and full. It makes him look so _ cute_... As a way of ignoring his boyish attractiveness, you tear your gaze away from him and continue eating your dinner. 

After a brief moment, he swallows and clears his throat. “Sorry.”

You giggle. “It’s okay.”

Impa and Paya also grin with amusement, but Paya appears to be more bashful. It seems as though she’s trying to hide her bright and wide smile from Link. Knowing her, she probably is. 

Once you all finish eating, Link helps you pick up the empty and dirty plates. You start to wash them with the large bucket of water in the kitchen. 

You hear footsteps behind you, so you turn around to see who walked in. It was Link. 

He stands beside you and looks at what you’re currently doing. “Help?” he asks, and you shake your head. 

“That’s okay, you don’t have to,” you insisted. He _ was _ the guest here after all. Putting him to work wouldn’t be polite. 

Link didn’t listen to you. Instead, he rolls back the sleeves of his beige top and grabs a washing rag. He rubs it with a bar of pearl-colored soap and begins to clean a dirty dish. 

You sigh and roll your eyes playfully. “Link, come on…” you whine softly. He glances at you and doesn’t seem to understand. “You’re our guest,” you continue. “You shouldn’t be doing any chores.”

He shakes his head side to side, and when he does so, he adorably closes his eyes briefly and slightly scrunches up his nose. Because only some of his straight golden hair is pulled back into a ponytail, a little bit of it falls forward against both sides of his face and sways with his movements.

_ So cute…_

By the time you and Link finish cleaning the dishes, the table, and the floor, the sun has completely hidden itself. The sky is dark and the stars have come out. You close the curtains draping over every window and begin to light little candles around the home. 

Impa and Paya have gone to bed early, and because Link is out of sight, you assume that he’s done the same as well. Even though he’s been asleep for a century, you’re guessing that he’s still exhausted from all of today’s events. 

You were wrong. Link wasn’t asleep just yet. He comes out of the guest room and takes a match from your hand. He helps you light the last candle on the first floor. You wonder why he keeps assisting you in every way possible. It seems that helping others simply comes naturally to him. It’s genuine, and not forced at all. He is _ sincerely _a nice person.

Shyly, you say, “You don’t have to help me with _ everything_, you know…” 

Again, he gives you a puzzled look, as if it’s instinctual for him to help others.

“Impa’s letting me stay here.”

You nod. “Right, but _ still._ You’re doing so much for the world already. Thank you for that…”

He nods. 

Randomly, your eyes scan his body and realize that he’s still wearing the same clothes. “Oh, listen, we have two baths, so you can wash up in the one down the hall to the left. We don’t exactly have clothes for boys, so, this is all I was able to find for you to sleep in.” You walk past him to grab the pile of clothes you had neatly folded and placed on a nearby chair. You were going to knock on his door and hand it to him, but he ended up coming to you first anyway. “There’s two towels for you there as well.”

Link takes the small pile that you give him and he glances down at it. “Thanks.”

You smile kindly at his manners. He never seems to forget them. “Of course. Have a nice night.” 

Before you could leave, Link grabs your wrist gently, stopping you from going any further. The contact causes you to get tense, but not in a negative way at all. You liked how it felt. A _ lot_. Turning around shyly, you lock eyes with him. Although the room is dim, his brilliant blue eyes shine and sparkle through it regardless, and it gets your heart racing. Impa _ did _always say that the Hero had a very distinct gaze.

He questions, “Why?”

Your body is completely facing him again, and his fingers gently let go. You find yourself missing the sensation, but as of right now, you’re mostly confused. “Why... what?”

“Why do you want to go with me?”

You pause, unsure of what to say. Why _ did _ you even want to go with Link? Yes, you wanted to travel and see the world, but why risk your life by being around someone important like him? Because he’s trying to stop the Calamity, he surely has many enemies and challenges to face.

_ I don’t know_, is what you wanted to say, but for some reason, you didn’t. “I… want to travel. There’s not much for me here.”

Link secretly reads your expression. He knows that you’re hesitating, and maybe even lying. He wasn’t sure why you’d go with an unfamiliar person like him. In the very little time that you’ve known each other, he thinks that you’re smart and not gullible. Were you _ not _ suspicious or awkward at all? 

Still, he can’t help but feel comfortable and at peace, as if this is _ supposed _ to happen. He certainly does _ not _ know what Hylia is up to.

“And also,” you continue, “Hanging out with a hero is _ pretty _ cool… I’ve heard so much about you.”

Thank Hylia for the moderate darkness because Link blushed slightly. He rubs the back of his neck bashfully and shakes his head. You’re quickly mesmerized by his hair swaying.

He’s used to the attention, but he still gets embarrassed. 

“Anyway,” you breathe, “You should get some sleep. We can leave whenever you’d like, but for this week, you should take it easy. I have plans for us tomorrow. You need new clothes.”

Link looks down at himself and nods. 

“Good night, Link.” You give him a small grin.

“Good night, Y/n.”

Once Link is out of sight and you’re making your way to your bedroom, you crack a smile. That was the first time he’s said your name today.

Now that you look back, you never formally introduced yourself to him. So much had been happening, and you were in a hurry. He must have learned your name by hearing someone else say it. Nevertheless, you were happy. Your name sounded sweet coming from his lips, and you found yourself yearning to hear it again. You saw his bright smile as well. Who ever thought the Hero would be so attractive?

You change clothes and rest your head against your cotton-colored pillow. Today was a good day. You wanted to remember it. 

Suddenly, Paya’s journal comes to your mind. She writes her feelings in her diary, but you could write about your travels with Link. Impa had given you a journal as a gift, but you never found a use for it. Now you have one.

You tuck yourself into bed and reach over to turn off the lantern on the desk beside you. You take a deep breath and close your eyes, falling asleep almost instantly. 


	4. Thoughtful

Ironically, Link is the last person to wake up. 

“You’d think one hundred years would be enough for him,” Impa had commented. 

“Impa, don’t say that…” you chided her softly, “He could be listening…” 

She clicks her tongue and swats the air. “I’m sure he’s still dead asleep.”

You roll your eyes playfully and think about what Link would look like sleeping. A smile spreads across your lips at the thought. He has such a soft and gentle look to him at times, so the image of his cheek pressed up against a pillow wasn’t too hard to visualize. His hair would be a cute mess as well. 

This boy was just _ too _ much. 

Suddenly, you hear footsteps approaching. Both you and Impa turn to the sound. Link stands at the doorway of the kitchen, rubbing his right eye. He looks sleepy, but his hair doesn’t appear to be disheveled in any way. He must have fixed himself up a little bit before stepping out of his bedroom. 

You had secretly hoped to see his bedhead.

“Good morning,” he murmurs, voice a little bit raspy from resting just moments ago, and it sounds so _ inviting _ coming from him. 

“Good morning,” you repeat.

“Well it’s about time,” Impa says with a teasing tone, and you awkwardly feel embarrassed on her behalf. 

“Impa…”

“Sleep well? I’m surprised you even went to bed last night,” she laughs, “Don’t you think a century was long enough?”

Her comments embarrass you even further. You don’t know Link very well at all, but from what you can see so far, he’s not going to say anything back to her. He’s too polite. “Don’t worry about it, Link,” you chuckle falsely. “How do you like your eggs?”

“I can cook.”

“You’re our guest, remember? Why don’t you set the table instead?”

He nods in response and starts to grab some plates and silverware from the kitchen cabinets. 

After you all have breakfast, you tell Impa of today’s plans regarding Link once he’s out of sight. 

“You’re going to pass by the shop to get him clothing?” she asked, and you nod.

“Yeah. He needs them.”

“Are _ you _ going to pay?”

“I am. He doesn’t have money.”

Impa sighs softly and gives you a look of pity.

“Don’t worry,” you shake your head to dismiss her concerns, “I’ve saved up a lot.”

She still didn’t appear to be fully at peace with your decision, but you genuinely didn’t mind anyway. Link has absolutely no money, and he needs good clothing to travel in. 

You take Link to the _ Enchanted _clothing shop, run by Claree. You knew the names of practically every person residing in Kakariko, even if you weren’t friends with all of them. 

Like Paya, Claree is a Sheikah, so her hair is just as grayish-white. However, Claree’s older, and she’s the owner of this business.

“Good morning!” she says politely, and you give her the same greeting in return. “How can I help you?”

“He needs new clothes,” you gesture your hand towards Link, and Claree’s eyes follow. “He’ll take a look around, and then after, could you get it fitted?”

She nods eagerly. “Of course! Let me know if you need anything.”

You follow Link as he paces around the store. There’s quite a variety of clothes, but they don’t seem right. You wanted to buy a well-made outfit for Link, not just anything.

Then, your eyes suddenly land on a three-piece ensemble. There’s a hood, a tunic, and a pair of pants. You get closer to feel the material. It’s sturdy, comfortable, and even appealing to the eye. “Link,” you call, and he turns around. “What about this?”

He nods and doesn’t even eye the outfit too much. Personally, he didn’t mind whatever he was given to wear. He was grateful regardless.

You noticed that he barely took a good look. “Are you sure you like it?”

He looks into your eyes and nods a second time. He’s serious. 

“Okay…”

The total amount was almost 300 rupees. It wasn’t too pricey, but it wasn’t too cheap either. Link had _ completely _ forgotten that currency existed, so he felt bashful as you paid for him at the front desk of the shop. He made a mental note to pay you back as soon as possible. 

After Claree receives the rupees, she takes out a long piece of measuring tape. “Follow me to the back room, please,” she tells Link. “I’ll need to take your measurements.”

Link briefly glances at you, and then he starts to follow Claree to another room. “I’ll be here,” you say.

A couple of minutes later, Link steps out of the room and tugs at his shirt. Claree reveals herself as well, and you notice that her cheeks are flushed. 

_ Just what the hell happened in there? _ you wonder. 

“The clothes... will be ready in less than a week,” Claree explains, but she seems distant.

“Okay… thank you.” You and Link leave the shop and you eye him quickly. “What happened with her?” you question with curiosity, and he gives you a shy look in response. You’re not sure what it means, but Link soon explains.

He had to take his top off in order for Claree to properly take measurement of his chest, abdomen, back, arms, and shoulders. She had blushed madly as she wrapped the tape around his body, and he _ clearly _ noticed her flustered state. He may be shy when it comes to attention, but he’s not exactly _ blind _ from it. 

And, by the grace of Hylia, he didn’t have to take off his pants. 

A couple of days pass, and you visit Enchanted. You pick up the clothing for Link in a box and start to take it back home. You can’t wait to see the look on his face when he sees it.

As you walked, you remembered the past few days. Link mostly sleeps in, and you wonder why. Maybe it’s because he has trouble sleeping? You want to ask him about it, but at the same time, that’s personal, and Link isn’t exactly one to share his thoughts or complaints. 

That was another thing. He was _ always _ keeping the peace in every situation. He keeps everything as positive as possible. He helps around the house with cleaning and cooking. You didn’t even know that he could cook so deliciously. 

Link was truly a nice person. You’d never met anyone so kind before. You couldn’t help admiring him for that. If only your parents were here to see it…

You reach the front door and head on inside. Link is in the kitchen, chatting with Impa, and as the sound of your voice fills the hall, they turn to look at you. 

“I have something~” you singsong with a grin, and the two head towards you. 

From behind your back, you reveal the box and hand it to Link. He stares at it, and then realization dawns upon him. 

“Is this?”

“Yep!” you say happily. “Open it!”

Link places the box carefully on the floor and takes the top off. Firstly, he sees the colors red, green, and brown. The Hylian tunic is excellently crafted, with brown straps that click with one another. The main color of the tunic is red, with green cloth hidden underneath it, and designs are delicately knitted onto the hem and sleeves. A set of sturdy, brown gloves come with it as well. 

The Hylian trousers are beige, and its color compliments well with the light brown high boots and belt. 

Lastly, Link is met with the dark navy-blue Hylian hood. More designs are knitted along the edges of the entire fabric. It’s beautiful.

You watch as his expression softens with gratitude and admiration. _ He likes it. _“It’s nice, right?”

He nods slowly, slipping the clothing in between his fingers. It’s comfortable, soft, and strong. “Thank you,” he says rather quietly, after a long moment. 

“You’re welcome,” you smile and glance at Impa. Her eyes are saying: _ This looks expensive _, but you didn’t care. He needed quality clothing. You shake your head at her, indicating that it was fine. 

“Well,” you break the silence, “Now we can leave whenever you’d like.”

“Friday,” he responds, and you nod. Friday is the day after tomorrow. 

“Friday,” you repeat. “I’ll start getting ready.”

Link takes the box to his room and he shuts the door behind him. Impa turns to you once he’s out of sight. “Are you sure you want to do this? The journey will be dangerous and you know it.”

“I’m sure.” You pause and ponder. “I don’t know why, but I feel like I need to go with him.”

She nods. “Be careful. _ Please _, be careful. He may be a skilled fighter, but do not ever forget that he fell one hundred years ago.”

You gulp, thinking about the massive walking Guardians that had surrounded him and the Princess. Thankfully, you had never encountered one before because they are mostly found near Hyrule Castle. You can’t imagine what a scene of multiple Guardians would look like. You’d probably be dead within minutes. 

“I will… I promise.”

Impa gently pulls you to her and wraps her arms around your body, holding you tightly. “Please come back to me.”

Her words cause your eyes to wetten and blur your vision. Quickly, you wiped the few tears away before she could see. When she does, you give her a weak smile. “I will.”


	5. Memories

“Are you sure that’s all of your things?” Paya asks, peering over your shoulder as she watches you place the final object into your travel bag—your journal. 

You nod and glance around at your bedroom one last time. Today is indeed the day. “Think so.”

The only unfortunate thing about traveling is that you can’t take your bedroom with you everywhere you go. This meant that you had to be rather light on some supplies, but you couldn’t leave _ all _ your essentials behind either.

Food, water, clothing, sleeping supplies, weapons, rupees, and other extras should be enough for the amount of time that you and Link will be gone.

_ Wait. Now that I think about it, how long is this all going to take? _Traveling across the land will indeed take a while, maybe months, maybe even longer than that. Who knows?

Paya interrupts your thoughts, and you hear your name come from her lips softly. “Y/n. Grandmother and Master Link are possibly waiting downstairs…” She noticed your faraway and distracted expression, but she decided not to say anything about it. 

“Right,” you reply. “I’ll go.”

Impa stands by the door with her hands behind her, and Link is beside her—a large bag on his back as well. You could tell the two had just been discussing something quietly, but Elder Impa quickly silenced herself once you entered the area.

_ I wonder what they were talking about… _ “Yes, Impa?”

“It’s time. It is midday.” Her voice has a slight solemnity hidden in it, and you can’t help but feel a bit upset. 

She’s allowing you to leave, but you _ know _ that she hopes you return home. 

You sigh to push away any feelings of sadness. “It is.” You approach Impa and hug her again, and it lasts longer this time. You can feel her heart beating rather swiftly. Once you pull away, you engulf Paya in a hug as well. He subtly swiped a tear away from her eyes and gives a smile.

“We’ll miss you…” she says, laughing weakly. “Ah—goodbye, Master Link… I-I hope your trip with Y/n goes w-well…” She blushes.

He nods and thanks Paya and Impa for everything they’ve provided for him. You can’t help but smile at his kindness. 

“I guess we’ll be off, then…” you trail off, eyes falling to the ground. You suddenly feel a very faint twinge of regret. You’re leaving your comfortable home… Is this what Link’s life has always consisted of? Living outdoors? 

Your family nods and watch as you and Link walk down the dark wooden stairs that lead up to the house. You say goodbye to Cado, Dorian, and any other townsfolk that you encounter on your way to the town’s exit. 

You didn’t have many friends to begin with in Kakariko. They weren’t very close to you. Also, not many villagers were around your age anyway. You found yourself bored most of the time. 

As a child, you vaguely remember anything, but you _ do _ remember being happy with your parents in your hometown, playing with the other children. That _ was _ until it was attacked by Guardians. 

_ You cross your small legs as you sit on the grass, playing with the flowers gently. You hear your mother click her tongue playfully, so you turn your head towards her. _

_ “What?” you ask innocently, not realizing that you were killing the flowers. _

_ “Don’t pick the petals off,” your mother orders, and a small, amused grin is apparent on her lips. “You’ll hurt the pretty flowers.” _

_ “This hurts them?” _

_ She nods, blinking quickly as a cool breeze temporarily blurs her vision. You giggle at the way her pretty face scrunches up. “Would you like it if I did this to you?” she pinches your arm rather gently, but it still stings with pain. _

_ “Ow, mommy!” you rub the red spot to comfort yourself. _

_ “See?” she laughs. “Don’t hurt flowers.” _

_ “Why not?” _

_ “Because it isn’t nice to hurt others. You’ll understand when you’re a bit older.” _

_ “But I’m already big! I’m almost nine…” you pout, and it makes your mother laugh even harder. _

_ “Right,” she agrees, and suddenly, a rumbling sound comes from afar. _

_ You instantly feel fear and you don’t know why. Something feels terribly wrong. _

_ “Mommy…?” you ask hesitantly, almost losing your voice. Your arms feel numb from fear, and the distant loud sounds are slightly drowned out by your own pounding heartbeat. _

_ The two of you get up from the ground, and she places her hand behind your head, caressing it lovingly. “I’ll be right back, baby. Let me go see what’s going on, okay?” _

_ Your hand grips the hem of her tunic tightly, not wanting her to go. The last thing you wanted was for her to go. _

_ Mother crouches down to face you. “Dad’s over there… I have to check. Don’t worry…” _

_ You nod, not fully understanding why she has to leave. _

_ “Do me a favor and follow that tower over there. You see it?” she points to a pointy structure downhill, not too far away. “That’s called Hateno Tower. Go, and your dad and I will meet you there.” _

_ “Okay…” you give up and decide to respect her wishes. “Try to hurry…” _

_ “I will. Don’t worry. I love you!” she kisses you on the cheek and runs off towards the sound. _

_ “Love you, too,” you reply, and begin to follow Hateno Tower. It’s very tall, so you never lose sight of it, and it’s not far either. You arrive within fifteen minutes. _

_ You sit on the ground, leaning against the large piece of architecture, admiring the way it looks. Whoever built it was quite talented. _

_ Five minutes pass. Then ten, and then thirty. What’s going on? You stand up and decide to start walking back home. Luckily, you sort of knew the way. As you get closer, you see smoke rising from one of the homes in your village. You start to sprint now. _

_ The scene that unfolds before is unforgettable. There is fire and smoke coming from all of the half-destroyed houses, and ashy burn marks on the grass, turning it black. You find a large machine with long legs, broken into pieces, sparks coming from its wires within. _

_ “What is that?” you ask, horrified. Did it do all of this damage? Where was everyone? _

_ Tears brimmed in your eyes, and you wiped them away. You keep pacing through the village to find your parents. There’s nobody in sight. Then, you make a turn and find bodies, sprawled out everywhere, not moving at all. You immediately spin around and run away, your cries becoming louder. You’re losing your breath, but you never stop. _

_ You never looked back. _

A hand gently shaking your shoulder snaps you out of your flashbulb memory. You turn to Link, not noticing the tears beginning to bubble within your eyes just yet. 

“What?” you questioned.

He hesitates for a moment because he sees the look in your eyes. He didn’t know what you were thinking about it, but he certainly knew that it wasn’t good. Still, he decided against asking you about it. Throughout the years, he’s learned to wait for people to open up by themselves. “Which way?” he inquires, and you suddenly realize that the two of you are already on the outskirts of town. 

“Oh,” you say blankly, noticing that you had been distracted. “Uh, let’s see.” From the back pocket of your trousers, you pull out a folded map of Hyrule and scan it. “Zora’s Domain,” you murmur and finally find it on your map. It’s not too far, just Northeast of Kakariko village. “You see that tower?” you point towards Lanayru Tower, and Link nods. “Let’s head there, and we’ll be able to find it.”

Link agrees and allows you to lead the way since you’re holding the map. He tries not to stare, but he can’t help it. He’s a curious boy, and he wants to know what’s wrong.

“Sorry,” you apologize, interrupting the brief silence. “I was just thinking about my parents.”

Link feels sorry for you. He had figured that your parents had passed away, because you were living with Impa and Paya. He just didn’t know how it happened, or when.

“I heard your father was a knight for the King himself. Is that true?” you slightly change the focus of the conversation.

He awkwardly shrugs, and you feel dumb for forgetting that he has amnesia.

“Right, my bad… That’s what Impa told me,” you explain. “That’s probably where your talent as a swordsman came from.”

He nods.

“I’ve never seen you fight before, but I’ve heard plenty of stories. I can’t wait to see it.”

His face looks sheepish, and the tips of his ears redden.

_ That is so cute… _

By sunset, you and Link arrive at the Lanayru Tower. You decide to set up camp near the entrance of a cave. Link watches as you start a fire with wood he gathered and flint shards that you carried with you. Afterward, he offered to cook fruit and mushroom skewers. 

Link is incredibly talented when it comes to handling food. You were in the mood for something hot to eat, so the skewers _ really _hit the spot. You wondered where he learned to cook like that.

Now, with a full stomach, you sigh with bliss and wrap yourself with a warm, thick blanket. “That was so good,” you comment, “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” he responds, and you find yourself comforted by the sound of his smooth and boyish voice. 

You want to hear it more, but Link is a quiet person, and you respect that. Impa had told you that the Hero was a silent one because he has to deal with so many people and their issues. He prefers silence and solitude.

“You know…” you begin, “We’re going to be with each other for quite a while, so, just know that I’m your friend, okay? If you ever need anything at all, I’m here. It’s the least I can do.”

Link’s usual serious expression softens at your kind words. He nods, his long and golden hair blowing slightly from the chill of the night.

Once the two of you say your good nights, you rest on your back, shut your eyes, and listen to the faint crackling of the campfire next to you.


	6. Apples and Arrows

Link wakes up when dawn first breaks. It’s too early for comfort, but he had a nightmare in his sleep, so he didn’t exactly have a choice. The last thing he wanted to do was go back to sleep and relive it again. 

He sits up from his sleeping bag and notices that it’s still quite dark out. The sun isn’t even in sight, but it still illuminates the sky slightly.

Then, he completely forgets that he’s not alone.

Link peers over at your sleeping form. You’re lying on your side facing him, eyes closed, and a few strands of short hair spill across your cheeks. You had been so silent that Link didn’t notice at first. 

As he stares, he can’t help but think like a boy. You look so… _nice _in your current state. Your blankets are up to your neck, covering as much as possible. You must be cold. 

He rubs his eyes, takes a sip of water from his bottle, and starts another fire so you can feel warmer. Once there’s a spark that soon becomes a flame, he stands up and leaves the cave. 

There’s a small stream running nearby. You had chosen the camp well. Link follows it into the forest, looking for the source. 

After a few minutes of moving away from camp, he doesn't find the source, but finds a little waterfall lightly flowing off of a cliff taller than him. The source is probably even higher up. 

Still, he’s satisfied with what he’s found. He won’t be dirtying the stream because this is a completely different waterfall.

Link smiles gently and rolls the sleeves of his tunic back. He leans forward and cups his hands into the water, feeling it’s temperature. It’s cool and refreshing. He splashes it on his face and takes multiple sips to quench his morning thirst.

He takes off his tunic, socks, and boots, and places them on a piece of log beside him. Then, he pulls the scrunchie that holds some of his hair back slowly, careful not to hurt himself. _ This next part is going to hurt_, he thinks to himself as he rolls his pants up.

Link steps underneath the light water and immediately twitches underneath it. His mouth hangs open as he gasps for air, but he doesn’t leave just yet. He has to get used to it first. Once his shivering muscles begin to relax, he sighs gently and enjoys the sensation. He _ loves _ showers. 

Using his fingernails, he scrubs his hair and combs it. The water makes it longer and darker. He soon begins to rub his shoulders and back, washing all of the sweat away from his body. It’s rather early outside, so he takes his _ sweet _ time with the water. You should be asleep until the sun’s bright enough to wake you. 

You wake up at sunrise, feeling the star’s bright rays burning through your eyelids. You just wanted more sleep. An entire day of walking really puts a toll on your body, especially your feet. 

You get up and notice that Link’s gone. It doesn’t worry you too much. _ He’s _ the expert when it comes to, well… _ anything,_ even if he has no weapon.

He probably went to use the restroom, anyway.

You then decide to get started on breakfast so it’s ready by the time he comes back. 

About ten minutes later, you finish cooking some fruit, but Link hasn’t returned yet. You decide to get up and find him—leaving the baked fruit behind. 

You look around the spacious forest, not spotting him immediately. Moving further away from camp, you come across a small and independent stream of water. _ Maybe he was thirsty_, you think, and decide to follow where it leads.

What you find next _ completely _ baffles you. You’re first exposed to his golden, wet, and _ very _ nude back. His skin is flawlessly smooth…

His fingers are running through his hair, washing it gently. You can’t help but stare, but you then quickly realize that he could turn around any second and catch you looking. You dash towards a nearby tree and hide behind it. Your racing heartbeat speeds up even faster. Sneakily, you peek back at him, and he’s facing your direction, but _ thankfully, _his eyes are closed as the water runs down his body. 

He’s a thin guy, but his skin is _ gorgeous_. Small scars litter his body, and he has subtle muscles. He currently looks so inviting, and his body is _ begging _ to be touched. 

_ Stop, stop_, you warn yourself and hide behind the tree again as dirty thoughts begin to fill your mind. 

What if he opens his eyes and sees you walking away? That would look extremely suspicious. Your best bet would be to confront him, act normal about it, and tell him that breakfast is ready. Easy—_ not._

You get out from behind the tree and walk up to him. “Link,” you call softly, and his brilliant blue eyes meet yours. His gaze is intimidating yet calming. “Sorry to interrupt,” you begin awkwardly, eyes falling to the ground, “but breakfast is ready and you were taking long…”

“Oh,” he responds, completely unfazed. “I’ll go now.”

You nod and step back to give him some space. He steps out from underneath and squeezes his hair to get all of the water out. There’s a faint chill in the air that causes him to shiver once his skin is exposed. You notice. Goosebumps begin to form on his skin as he rubs his arms to warm himself up.

“Do you have a cloth?” he asks, and you blink.

“Oh! Yes! Let me get it. I’ll be quick.” You swiftly jog back to camp and bring him a cloth to dry himself with. 

He gives you a small smile and wraps the cloth around his shoulders. You avert your eyes shyly and return to camp.

He may have seemed unfazed, but inside, his heart was pounding. It’s a _ damn _ good thing he didn’t take off his pants. Still, he was embarrassed about having been caught. He wondered what you were thinking.

Link arrives once he’s decently dressed, but you’d be lying if you said you didn’t enjoy seeing his half-naked body. His hair is tied back again, but it’s damper and darker than usual. 

He may be a hero and a fighter, but he’s _ still _ a boy, so you can’t help feeling attracted to him physically. 

“How did you sleep?” you break the silence and tear your eyes away from him. Otherwise, you’d stare at him all day. You kneel down by the fire and grab a fruit skewer. 

“Good,” he says, sits across from you, and warms himself. “You?”

“Good,” you echo, and take a bite out of a baked apple. It’s sweet and soft, warming your mouth immediately. Cinnamon would have been absolutely delicious. 

As the two of you eat in silence, your mind begins to wander. Link has amnesia, so does he remember his previous sword-fighting and survival skills? “Link,” you start, “Do you remember how to fight?”

He looks up at you and shrugs. You expected that response from him. “Mmm, I see. Well, when we get to Zora’s Domain, we can buy you a weapon, okay? For now, though, use my bow. I have a dagger. Can you shoot?”

“Let’s see,” he grabs the bow you hand to him. He holds it with his left hand and pulls an arrow out of its quiver with his right hand. You guess that he’s right-handed. He gets up and takes aim at an apple tree. It’s about twenty feet away. Bright red apples hang from its branches. 

“Are you going for that one?” you point towards a specific apple, and he nods, not saying a word. 

You hear him take a quiet deep breath, and he bites his bottom lip in concentration. Your eyes dart from his lips to the apple again. He releases the arrow and it flies quickly, piercing right through the _ exact _ same apple he was aiming for. Droplets of juice drip from the arrowhead and fall onto the grass below.

Your lips part with astonishment. A sharp gasp escapes your lips, and your eyes gleam with admiration at his skill. How did he _ do _ that? Your aim is just as impressive, but he hasn’t shot an arrow in forever. “Wow…” you say, completely in awe. “You’re amazing!”

He turns to you now, and a small and sheepish smile is playing at his lips. 

“I can’t believe it! I heard you were _ legendary _ with a sword, but I didn’t think you could use a bow, too!”

Link chuckles nervously at the praises and his eyes wander around the area. 

_ He’s so talented and charming. There’s no doubt that girls will be keeping their eyes on him as the two of us travel… _ The thought angers you slightly, but you understand. 

“You can hold onto that,” you laugh. “Let’s keep eating! I’m _ starving_.”

After breakfast, you filled up a couple of bottles with water, and continued your journey with Link. The trip to Zora’s Domain took a couple of days, so the two of you had to stop occasionally to rest in various caves and hills. 

You encountered a few enemies on the way as well. Some Bokoblins attacked but you and Link successfully fought them off and killed them. That was the first time you saw Link in action, with a _ bow _ at least. He’s quick in battle, but you can tell his movements are careful. He’s been fighting for years. He was the princess’s appointed knight for a reason. 

You and Link arrive at the outskirts of Zora’s Domain by sunset. You walk on a few sky-colored bridges that look almost like glass. The crafting is beautiful, and it looks like the ocean itself. Well, you’ve never seen the ocean before, because it’s rather far from Kakariko village, but you’ve heard about it’s vastness and blueness. 

“We’re almost there,” you say happily. “I can’t wait to see it. I heard it’s really pretty.”

He nods in agreement. 

Suddenly, a distant voice yells from above. You look up but don’t see anything.

“You two!” the voice hollers, and you know it’s a male. Suddenly, a figure comes out from the darkness and lands directly in front of you and Link. It startles you. 

“Woah!” you stand back, and observe the _ very _ tall and unfamiliar figure that faces you. You barely reach his stomach. The boy, or _ man, _is a Zora. He’s red-colored, and he resembles a shark. (You had read about sea animals and seen sketches of them before). His body is toned, large, and strong. He’s practically naked—as most Zora are—but he’s wearing a few cloths and silver parts. His eyes are yellow and piercing, but his face is handsome. 

“Sorry about that!” he chuckles and rubs the back of his neck. When he smiles, you can’t help but notice the sharp set of teeth that he has. _ Yikes._ “You both are Hylians, right?”

You and Link glance at each other, both confused, and you nod. 

“You both look very capable and strong,” he compliments kindly. “I see the weapons you’re carrying. You must be skilled, right?”

You laugh awkwardly. “Yeah, _ he _ is,” you gesture towards Link and he blushes. 

“I’m sorry to ask this so suddenly, but I need your help. You both are headed to Zora’s Domain, yes?”

“Yes,” you reply.

A wave of relief washes over the Zora. “Ah, that’s good,” he sighs, “Zora’s Domain is in danger, and we need help from strong fighters. Do you think you can lend a hand?”

“Does the ‘danger’ happen to be related to the Divine Beast?” you question, and the Zora nods. 

“Yes, it does!”

“Well, that’s what we’re here for,” you explain.

“Really? That’s excellent! Thank you so much! Ah—before we go, what are your names?”

“Link,” Link says, and the Zora’s eyes brighten.

“Link! That’s a fine name!” he says happily. “It sounds familiar too… and you?”

“Y/n.”

“Y/n…” he repeats slowly. “I like it!”

You smile politely. 

“Oh, sorry! I always forget to introduce myself,” he giggles, “I’m Prince Sidon of the Zora!” 


	7. Remember

“Oh, sorry! I always forget to introduce myself,” he giggles, “I’m Prince Sidon of the Zora!” 

_ Sidon?! Prince Sidon?! There’s no way! _ “O-oh! I didn’t know that!” you exclaim and immediately kneel down respectfully. You’ve heard stories about Prince Sidon and his deceased older sister, Princess Mipha. She had been in charge of Zora’s Domain’s Divine Beast Vah Ruta, but once it had been corrupted by Ganon, she was attacked and killed about one hundred years ago. Because of that, her younger brother had to step up and take responsibility. 

Vah Ruta is _ still _ corrupt, so no one has been able to board it since then. That’s what you and Link were there for.

“Link,” you whisper, and he kneels down beside you. 

“Ah, you don’t have to do that!” Prince Sidon laughs. “Come, come, you should speak to my father, the King.”

King Dorephan. Impa told you of him as well. You know much about the world and its inhabitants, thanks to Impa and her vast collection of books in her library. 

“Right,” you get up and follow Prince Sidon, alongside Link.  
  


Zora’s Domain is just as beautiful as Impa has described in the past. It’s all glassy and blue, and the entire structure is mostly rounded with different levels interconnected by bridges and stairs. It all rests on water, and it’s a _ long _way down. 

Now that the sun has completely set, the sky is dark, but Zora’s Domain has blue lights that illuminate columns and poles. As Sidon leads the way, he explains where certain shops are located.

Link silently looks around at everything in awe. Although he’s seen all of this before, he doesn’t have any recollection of it, so it’s as though he’s seeing it for the first time.

“So, Link…” Sidon begins, “Where have I heard that name before?”

You don’t want to put Link on the spot by saying, _ Yeah, he’s the princess’s super strong appointed knight. _You know that would embarrass him, so instead, you glance at him to see what he’s going to say. He stays silent.

“Alright, here we are! Come, this way! The King is waiting inside!” 

You follow Link to the top of Zora’s Domain, where a gigantic Zora rests upon a throne. This is King Dorephan, Sidon’s father. He has another Zora by his side. You guess that’s his advisor or assistant. 

“Welcome to Zora’s Domain!” King Dorephan exclaims. “I am King Dorephan, ruler of the Zora. Hylians visit, but not too often. It is refreshing to see new faces!”

You smile politely and steal another glance from Link. “Thank you, King Dorephan.”

“Now, Sidon tells me that you can help us Zora. You see…”

Before he could finish his sentence, a loud noise fills your ears. It sounds similar to a trumpet, but you recognize it. Elephants make such noises.

Then, rain starts to fall heavily on Zora’s Domain. You don’t get wet because King Dorephan’s throne is underneath a large roof. Still, you have never seen such powerful rainfall before. It could possibly flood the area within a few hours.

“There it is,” the King says rather sadly. “Vah Ruta. The beast is causing heavy rainfall, and it is concerning us Zora. Zora’s Domain could sink, but that’s not all. If the rain continues, it could flood even further, and Hylians and others will drown. We must stop it.”

You wince silently. “Taking control of Vah Ruta will stop the rainfall?” you ask, and the King nods. “Yes, but it is difficult to even get _ near _Ruta. This is why we are desperate for aid.”

“Right…” you respond. “I’m sure we can stop it. I’m from Kakariko village, and Elder Impa has informed Link and I how to take back control of the Divine Beasts. This is why we arrived.”

The King takes his eyes off of you and they land on Link. “Link…” he murmurs. “The device on your hip… Yes! I know _ very _ well who are you are, boy! The Hylian Champion, Link.”

You grin.

“We have met various times before. This wouldn’t be the first time you have helped Zora’s Domain!”

Link doesn’t smile, and you know exactly why. “I… don’t remember…” he says sheepishly.

“No?” The King asks, confused.

“I lost my memory,” Link confesses, internally feeling stupid. 

“I see… but, _ surely _you remember Mipha, yes? My daughter? You two were close.”

Link ponders for a moment, but you know he’s going to say no. He shakes his head. 

The King frowns. “There’s a statue of her outside, if you’d like to see what she looked like.”

Link nods, and a silence falls upon everyone. Sidon steps forward. “Anyway, father… Link and Y/n should rest. They must be exhausted from their long journey.”

“Yes. Sidon, show our guests the Seabed Inn.”

Sidon bows halfway. “Yes, father.”

The rain stops after about thirty minutes. Once it becomes a light drizzle, Sidon shows you and Link to the Seabed Inn—run by a Zora named Kayden. After paying the rupees for two beds, you tell Link that you’ll be right back. He nods silently, not saying a word at all. You noticed that he hasn’t said anything since the conversation with the King. You wonder what’s wrong.

For now, you catch up the Prince Sidon before he heads to his quarters. “Prince Sidon,” you call, and he turns around. “Can I talk to you really quick?” 

“Of course,” he replies, and the two of you walk towards a balcony. 

“Your sister… I heard a lot about her. I’m sorry for your loss…”

He nods and looks down at his town. “Thank you.”

“The King said she was close to Link. They were friends?”

“All of the Champions were friends, mostly. Mipha healed Link many times when he would get injured. She enjoyed his company very much. The two may have been friends, but Mipha always saw him as something more.”

_ Something more... _“She had… feelings for him?”

“She did, but she never confessed.”

You look down, not knowing how to respond. You glance back at the statue of her behind you. She’s beautiful and short, and she holds a trident in her hands. _ I wonder if Link felt the same way. _

“Is that all you wanted to talk about? My sister?” Sidon asks. 

“Oh, yeah… I’ve heard plenty of stories regarding Link, but I don’t know him too well, especially since he has amnesia. I wanted to know more about him and the people he was with. Sorry again about her…”

Sidon shakes his head. “It’s alright. I understand.” He pauses. “Link may be strong, but he can get reckless at times, not caring about his own safety.” He turns to you. “It’s a good thing you’re with him.”

You hum and grin with your mouth closed. “I can’t let him die.”

After speaking with Sidon, you returned to the inn. You and Link were sharing a room due to lack of space, but you had separate beds. He was already in comfortable clothes and underneath his bedsheets. His back was turned to you, so you couldn’t tell if he was fully asleep or not. You decided to be silent with your movements to not wake him just in case.

A small blue lamp lit up the room slightly, giving you just enough light to be able to see. You close the door behind you and quickly change clothing. 

It begins to rain outside again. You lie in bed and close your eyes, listening to the light tapping of water droplets against the ceiling.

Link turns to rest on his back, and he expects another sleepless night. Why can’t he remember important details and important people? He can’t even recall Mipha’s face or voice, and yet he was ‘close’ with her? 

His amnesia frustrates him. He should have _ never _ been careless and gotten himself hurt. He should have been strong enough to help Princess Zelda, but now she’s trapped in Hyrule Castle, barely holding off Ganon. _Stupid. A_ngrily, he gets out of bed and takes a deep breath. His chest feels anxious. His heart races in a disgusting way. He sighs and leaves the room quietly. 

There are no Zoras around. It must be late. He only spots a few guards by the far entrance of Zora’s Domain. He walks around to find the statue of Mipha. Once he does, he looks up at her and stares. Remember. _ Remember_. 

A minute passes, and he doesn’t remember anything. He feels stressed again. “Mipha,” he whispers, and reaches out to touch the base of the statue. Once he does, he blinks multiple times, and a flashback suddenly illuminated his thoughts.

_ I look down, and I see water. My legs are dangling off of a tall structure. I look to my right and see a Zora girl holding my arm. A light bluish light emits from her hand, and it strangely makes my arm feel better. Is she healing me? I must have injured myself. _

_ “You were always such a reckless child,” the girl says, and it suddenly dawns on me that the Zora is Mipha. I recognize her from the statue. Her voice is soft and elegant. “Here I am, healing you again.” She smiles kindly. “It’s alright, though, I don’t mind.” _

_ I stare at her hand, and the light disappears. My arm is normal again, and no bruise or scab is left behind. _

_ Behind me is Vah Ruta, and I realize that we’re sitting on its large trunk. “Thanks,” I say to her. _

_ Mipha smiles and looks down at her lap shyly. “You know, when this is all over… when we all defeat Calamity Ganon, I… I was hoping…” _

_ I await her response. Her cheeks are pink. _

_ “Maybe we could… spend some time together?” _

Link blinks once more. Was that… a memory? _ His _ memory? Did that really happen? He looks back up at the statue. There’s no mistaking it. The girl he saw in the statue was indeed Mipha. 

He remembered. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a bit of a ‘filler’. Sorry about that! I promise it’ll all get better ;) I’ll include a lot of romance—which is essentially the purpose of this story, haha—don’t worry! ;)


	8. Capturing Moments

You slept _ so _ well. For one thing, you were on an _ actual _ bed, instead of in the middle of the woods somewhere. You didn’t have to sleep with any fear of an enemy attack. 

Getting up with a yawn, you pushed aside the blue window curtains and peeked outside. The sound of water running was always relaxing, so it helped you rest deeply and well. 

Turning around, you glance at Link’s bed. It’s empty, but the sheets and comforter are made neatly. 

_ Where could he be? It’s early. _

You decide to take the opportunity to shower, get dressed, and freshen up. Once you were completely finished with the restroom, you found Link sitting on the edge of his bed, putting on his brown boots. _ Where was he? _

His head rotates when he hears you enter. “Morning,” he says. 

“Good morning,” you reply with a small smile. “Sleep well?”

“M-hmm,” he lies, but there was no way of you knowing that at all. Yes, he was finally able to remember Mipha, but he still feels anxious about everything else. _ He’s _ supposed to save Hyrule all by himself? The pressure was far too overwhelming to bear. _ Everyone _ is counting on him. If he lost...

You sigh blissfully as you take a seat. “That’s good. Hey, listen. After breakfast, we should pass by the store and get you some weapons.”

Link nods. “I’m paying, though.”

“What?” you chuckle. “You don’t have any money, Link.”

“I have things to sell.”

“You do? Oh, that’s right! I forgot… you collected a ton of stuff on our way here. I’m sure those jewels have a lot of value.”

“M-hmm.”

“Are you _ sure _ you don’t want me to pay? You can always pay me later on…”

“I’m sure,” he says politely but stubbornly. He’s fiercely independent at times. 

You laugh. “Okay, but don’t complain to _ me _ when you don’t have enough rupees.”

A small smile spreads across his lips. _ Yes_. You feel a sense of pride every time you’re able to make him grin.

“I’m just kidding. Come on, let’s eat and then head to the shop.”

A Zora named Cleff runs a general goods store, and beside him, another Zora named Dento is in charge of the weaponry. He can replicate Lady Mipha’s original trident, so you _ know _ that he’s talented with tools.

Link sells a collection of geodes and gems that he’s acquired throughout your journey, and he earns himself _ quite _ a bit. After speaking with the merchant, he walks over to Dento and requests a Zora Sword and Silver Shield. Dento nods, receives the sufficient amount of rupees, and gets to work.

You and Link then leave the shops and walk around the outskirts of Zora’s Domain, sight-seeing. It didn’t seem like any enemies would be around, but you still brought your weapons anyway, just in case. The area is surrounded by waterfalls and tall rock-structures, so the two of you slowly make your way up the large hills. “Once those tools are ready, we can go to Vah Ruta and fix all of this.”

“M-hmm.”

“I heard it’s standing on water, so I wonder how we’ll actually _ get _ to it. Swimming would take too long, and we’d get attacked. Hmm…”

Once you reach the very top of the highest mountain, you look at the city in awe. It’s beautiful and so very _ blue_. It reminds you of Link’s eyes. Blue just might be your favorite color.

“This is so _ pretty_,” you breathe. “I wish I could capture this moment…”

Link grabs his Sheikah Slate and displays a camera-like feature. You gasp, surprised that such a thing even existed. 

“You can take photos?! That’s so cool!” you take his Slate gently and capture a photo of Zora’s Domain from way up. “We need to take a photo of _ every _ place we go to.” 

As you continue to examine the Sheikah Slate’s impressive technology, you don’t notice Link turning around slowly. He takes your dagger from its sheath and holds it in his right hand. 

You’re confused by his action. “Link? What’s up?”

“Give me your bow, and slowly.”

His dangerously serious tone of voice causes your heart to instantly pick up speed. Is there danger? What is he looking at? “W-why?”

“Y/n,” he says darkly. “I need it.”

“Okay…” you steadily take off your bow and quiver from around your body and hand it to him. You still don’t turn around. 

He draws an arrow and fires it. “Run!” 

You don’t even think. Your feet are already moving swiftly and away from whatever is behind you. As soon as you’re decently far away, you peer over a large rock to see what exactly is occurring.

A large and dark animal charges towards Link, it’s heavy footsteps being the only current sound. Its bottom half resembles a horse, its abdomen looks muscular and human, and its face is that of a lion.

You’ve seen sketches of this enemy before. It’s a lynel.

Your eyes widen but you don’t move from your hiding spot. Link took both of your weapons, so you were currently powerless. You would just interfere and throw off his flow. 

Still, lynels are incredibly strong. The enemy stands tall and you can tell it holds immense power in its arms and legs. Also, a bow hangs across its chest. 

Oh _ shit._

The lynel grabs its bow and draws an arrow, but the arrowhead sparks and emits a greenish color. Are those special arrows? Electric? You had seen a similar effect coming from a species of Keese.

Once it releases the arrow, Link successfully dodges it and runs away from the lynel, getting ready to attack it from behind. He slashes its legs with your dagger and then jumps back once they begin to kick. Link fires a couple of arrows and they successfully hit the lynel’s body, causing it to growl angrily.

However, the lynel is a short-distance fighter as well. It swings a large weapon at Link quickly, and he jumps around—trying to avoid not getting hit. 

Every action made by the lynel causes your breath to hitch. You flinch every time you _ think _ Link is going to get hurt, but he never does. He’s _ that _ good.

After minutes of running around and attacking, Link fires one final blow to the lynel’s head, and it plummets to the ground in defeat, losing its life. 

Link’s legs quiver from exhaustion, and he falls to his knees, panting restlessly. He drops both of his weapons beside him. Sweat drops bead his forehead, and his face is red with heat. You quickly rush to him. “Link!”

He glances at you dashing before closing his eyes. He continues to breathe heavily.

“Link,” you repeat, making sure he doesn’t completely fall on the grass. You help him lay on his back. “Are you okay?”

He nods weakly. “M-hmm…”

You sigh with relief and make fully sure he isn’t injured. His body has a few small cuts from dodging, but other than that, he’s alright. Still, you reach into your pocket and take out a few bandages. “Why didn’t you let me help you?”

“I…” he gulps, trying to moisten his dry mouth. “I didn’t want you to get hurt…”

You frown, sigh, and begin to cover his cuts with your small bandages. He’s looking up at you, watching intently. “_ You _ could have gotten hurt.”

He grins with his mouth closed. “Didn’t.”

You click your tongue at his recklessness. So _ this _ is what Impa was referring to. “Whatever! Just don’t do it again. Lynels are incredibly strong… I’m sure there are tougher ones than _ that _ one.”

“Hmm.”

Sighing once more, you leave him to rest on the ground for a bit and scan the area. There are no other enemies around, thankfully. However, many remains from the lynel are left behind. Its body faded, but its bow and arrows stayed. Sadly, the strong axe didn’t.

“Look, new bow. You can keep it,” you joke and lay the lynel’s weapon next to him. “Shock arrows, too.”

“M-hmm…” Link hums, and before you know it, his breathing slows down and he falls asleep on the warm, green grass. 

After a little while of admiring him, you get sleepy as well and find yourself drifting away against a tall tree. 

“Y/n…” a voice says softly, causing your eyes to open. You scrunch up your face because you’re immediately met with light. Where were you again?

As your eyes adjusted, you recognized Link, who was _ dangerously _ close to your face, and his hand was on your shoulder. He must have been the one to wake you. Once he sees that you’re fully awake, he backs away and sits in front of you.

You yawn sleepily and realize that it’s almost sunset. The sky is beginning to turn pink.

“I fell asleep?” you get up from the grass and stretch, brushing any stray leaves off of your clothes. 

Link nods. “I did, too.”

You hum with amusement. “That’s funny. I guess we were more tired than we thought.”

“Yeah.”

“Well, anyway, we should head back. Don’t forget your new bow.”

“M-hmm.” He takes the large weapon in his hand and you notice that he carries it with ease.

You make sure that you have all of your things with you. Link is standing by the edge of the mountain, watching the pink clouds slowly stretch across the sky. 

“You know what? We haven’t taken any pictures together, yet! Can I?” you suggest, and Link nods and hands you his Sheikah Slate. “Let’s stand like this, so we can include the sunset, too!” 

You inch closer to Link, the side of your face almost touching his cheek. He tries hard to ignore his beating heart at the proximity. You smell so _ nice._ You hold up the Sheikah Slate, face the camera towards you, and smile.

Link’s expression doesn’t change. “Hey, come on, smile,” you pout, and he eventually grins just slightly, without showing his teeth. You capture the photo and observe it afterward. The pink lighting is absolutely _ gorgeous._

“Wow…” you breathe. “I like it! Okay, _ now _ we can go.”

You hand him back his Slate and glance back again. Today was the day that Link protected you. Today was the day he saved your life for the first time. Although you were skilled in combat as well, you _ know _ you would have gotten seriously injured by the lynel. _ I need to train more. _

But he was there. He fought for the both of you. He fought so you wouldn’t get hurt. He fought because he _ cared _ about you. 

You _ meant _ something to him. 

“Link?” you break the silence as the two of you walk down the mountain.

“Hmm?” 

“Have you ever been in love?” you ask, and your question completely catches him off-guard. 

He’s stunned and unsure. He doesn’t _ think _ he’s ever been in love. Because of his amnesia, he doesn’t know if there was someone special in his life. 

Then again, if there _ was,_ and if he _ truly _ loved them, wouldn’t he remember who they were?

“No,” he finally says, after pondering for quite a bit. 

His late response made you suspicious, but at the same time, you didn’t think he was completely lying. Maybe he was just trying to remember his past. “Oh, alright. Just curious.”

“Have you?”

“No,” you echo. “I’ve had little crushes, but nothing _ too _ serious…”

He secretly feels relief. So there _ isn’t _ a boy in your life. When he first got to know you, he was curious about your family, your friends, and your love life, but he never asked. 

“You know… I probably shouldn’t be telling you this, but Prince Sidon told me that Lady Mipha had feelings for you…”

Link looks at you instantly, baffled. Now that he actually _ remembered _ Mipha, the image is much clearly. “She… did…?”

You nod. “That’s why I asked you that question… I was wondering if you had liked her back.”

“I remember her.”

Your eyes brighten. “Really? That’s great! I’m happy for you.”

“M-hmm. But, I don’t think I liked her in the past. And I don’t like her now, either…”

“Right. Well, thanks for telling me.”

A few minutes of more silence come upon you, and out of nowhere, you say, “I probably shouldn’t tell you _this_ either, but Paya likes you, too.”

Link’s eyes widen slightly, but he doesn’t appear to be as surprised as earlier. He looks off to the side. “I… figured.”

“What?! You knew?!”

He chuckles awkwardly. “I didn’t want to assume... but I did notice a few signs. Now I know.”

“_Oops _ ,” you laugh with amusement. _ Link’s observant. I hope he’s not too observant… Does he know that I’m crushing on him? No, I doubt it. There’s no way… right? I’m doing a good job at keeping it a secret. _ “I guess she was a bit obvious, huh? She _ was _ always stuttering and blushing whenever you were around.”

Link’s eyes fall to the ground shyly. He doesn’t know how to react. 

“Do _ you _ like her~?” you ask in a teasing tone, nudging his shoulder playfully. 

He shakes his head quickly. “N-no, I don’t…”

“Hmm? What was that? You didn’t sound too sure~”

“I _ don’t… _” he repeats, face burning.

You laugh _ hard _ at his expression. “Okay, okay, I believe you.”

_ Paya isn’t the girl who makes me nervous, _Link thinks. _ You are. _


	9. Heat and Haste *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slight NSFW warning!

As soon as a few days have passed, you and Link visit Dento’s shop once more. To your pleasant surprise, Link’s requested items are finished. He takes the sword and shield and heads out to the outskirts of Zora’s Domain again, eager to practice his sword-fighting.

You have only seen Link fight with your dagger and bow, so this should be quite interesting. After all, he specializes in sword-fighting, according to Impa. She said he was very talented.

You place your belongings down and sit underneath the shade of a large tree. Link starts off with just his sword, and he carries it firmly in his right hand. The sword appears to be light, but you _ know _ it carries a bit of weight to it. _ He’s strong. _

He swings it back and forth gingerly, getting used to the feeling. To prevent yourself from staring and even possible drooling over him, you take out your journal and begin to record the past few days spent with Link.

You write about Zora’s Domain, the Lynel encounter, and best of all, the partially-nude ‘shower’ you had walked in on. That image had burned into the deepest parts of your mind for days, and you were not complaining one bit.

Every now and then, you peek up at him. He cuts the grass surrounding him, rolls around, and jumps to try different moves. After using the sword, he holds the shield with his left arm and experiments with both items at once. Then, he moves onto target practice using his new bow and the environment. 

A couple of hours later, he appears to be finished. You had pulled out a book to read a while ago.

From afar, you see sweat glistening across his forehead. His cheeks are burning with heat, his body is heaving up and down as he pants, and he places his weapons on the ground. 

You pretend not to see him begin to walk towards you, where the cool shade was located. 

He sits in front of you, but you’re faced with his side-profile. His eyes are shut as he continues to pant softly. 

His noises make your thoughts go absolutely _ wild. _Him being so out of breath sounds almost sexual... Secretly, you suddenly want to be the reason for his blushy cheeks and heaving body. 

You avert your eyes quickly and begin to mutter the words in your book. You need to hear something _ other _ than him right now.

“Water?” you ask and clear your dry throat. 

Link looks at you swiftly. “_Please,” _ he groans, not making the situation better for you at all.

_ Why does he have to sound like that? _

You hand him your bottle. “Have all of it if you want.”

His blue eyes brighten like the ocean. He takes the bottle and immediately begins to chug it. A few droplets of water slip and slide down his cheek, running along the side of his neck.

_ Damn. _ You didn’t think a neck could be so attractive. The golden muscles flex as he drinks, mesmerizing you. You imagine yourself kissing it, _ marking _ it—making it all red with your mouth. He would look so good with hickeys, and not just on his neck. All over his body. His shoulders, his abdomen, his _ thighs_…

Oh my goodness, his _ thighs. _Being in between them. You imagined taking him into your mouth hesitantly, feeling his hands slip into your hair as he groans softly with pleasure. 

“I’ll be right back,” you get up and leave the scene. _ Too _ damn much. 

Once you’re out of sight, you lean your back against a broad tree and take a deep breath. _ What am I doing? Calm down. _ Your current feelings for him are merely superficial and physical as of right now, nothing more.

How could a person’s thoughts be so dirty? Especially when they’re about the person _ directly _ in front of them. _ Chill out. _

After a couple of minutes, you dismiss your thoughts about Link and return to the same area. His body is laid back against the grass. The redness on his face has certainly calmed down, and he doesn’t seem to be out of breath anymore. _ Good. Otherwise, I think I’d go crazy. _

You take the bottle of water beside him and realize that it’s empty. _ Damn. _ He really drank the whole thing. 

“Thanks,” he murmurs.

“I thought you fell asleep,” you chuckle.

He shakes his head. “Nn-nn. About to, though…”

Out of nowhere, you hear a loud trumpet-like sound echo. Rain starts to fall upon you and Link, and it covers Zora’s Domain as well. 

“What?!” you shriek, annoyed that the sudden rainfall had completely drenched you two within seconds. Thankfully, you had put your journal and book away in your bag fast enough.

“Ruta,” Link says, now on his feet. 

“We should probably hurry. Do you think we could go tomorrow? Will you be ready for a possible fight?”

He nods, and the two of you grab your soaked belongings and head back to Zora’s Domain. 

It feels gloomy. The Zora are concerned that those who cannot swim might drown. This makes you realize that maybe you and Link should be hurrying up a bit more.

_ I wonder if this sort of similar thing happens with the other Divine Beasts. Most likely. People are in danger. _

You and Link come across Sidon, who has a worried expression on his face. “When can we go to Ruta?” Link asks, and his eager question seems to catch Sidon by surprise.

“You aren’t quite ready yet, Link. There is still something I have to give you. Follow me,” Sidon orders, and you do what he says.

There is a small chest next to the King’s throne, and Sidon urges Link to open it. Once he does, he pulls out a smooth, deep blue material. _ Are those clothes? _ Link stretches out the material, and it _ does _appear to be some kind of outfit. There are silver parts to it that provide protection to areas like the shoulders, hips, forearms, etc.

“Is that armor?” you question while admiring the impressive craftsmanship.

Sidon nods. “Indeed. Actually… my sister made this for you, Link. You wore it back then. I bet it still fits,” he grins.

“Is it just _ regular _armor or…?”

“It was made to help Hylians swim better and faster. Link, if you wear this, you will have no trouble with swimming up Ruta’s large waterfalls.”

“You can swim upwards with that? No way!” you exclaim.

Sidon nods faster. “Yes!”

Then, you suddenly realize that there is only one set of armor. How were you going to Vah Ruta with Link?

“I… forgot to mention this earlier, but I’m afraid I can only take one person to Ruta on my back… I’m the fastest Zora, but even then, the obstacles that Ruta tosses can be difficult to avoid. I can surely guarantee Link’s safety if he is the only one I take.”

You wanted to ask if Sidon could just take two trips to Ruta and bring you along as well, but he’ll probably be tired out. You don’t want to risk his life. 

“Oh, I see,” you reply, giving up. “So he has to go alone.” You weren’t quite sure if you were okay with that. It’s dangerous, and you can’t help him at all. He’d be completely alone for hours, or even _ days… _To tell the truth, you didn’t even know how long this entire process would take.

“That’s fine,” Link finally speaks up, and valiantly. “I’ll be fine. I’ll fix this.”

“Are you sure?” you ask hesitantly.

He locks eyes with you and nods. “M-hmm.”

“Alright,” you sigh quietly, still not completely at peace with this whole thing. 

Link lies against his bed with a blissful sigh. He’s clean and fresh from a recent shower—not the one from Ruta—and all he currently wants to do is sleep. After all, he and Sidon have agreed to pursue Ruta tomorrow, around noon.

“Sleepy?” you ask, your back facing him as you prepare your bedsheets.

“Yeah,” he breathes, lazily watching your movements. “What are you going to do while I’m gone?”

“I dunno,” you shrug. “I don’t even know _ how _long you’ll be gone for.”

“Hmm. Me neither.”

“You _ better _be careful,” you warn. “I don’t want to see any serious injuries when you get back.”

He grins slightly. “No promises.”

You spin around quickly and glare at him. “Shut up.”

He chuckles and turns his body to face the wall. He shuts his eyes. “Good night.”

You purposely sigh loudly for him to hear. “Good night.”

_ Please be careful. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops~ Link’s provoking some rather dirty thoughts...


	10. Take Off

Link eats a hearty and delicious breakfast.

“Slow down a bit,” you warn, but you’re also amused as he devours the food presented in front of him. “It’s not your last meal.”

He swallows quickly. “Might be,” he murmurs, and you turn to face him.

“You better be joking.”

“I am,” he smirks slightly and eats slower for you, but you didn’t exactly notice that.

You click your tongue. He really knows how to get you, doesn’t he? “Dummy.” He can be such a _ boy _ sometimes. 

After the early morning passes, Link gets all of his gear ready. All you can do is lean against the bedroom wall and watch as he packs food you’ve given him, his weapons, and a few other supplies he’ll need.

You don’t know what to expect. There could be _ anything _lurking inside of the Beast: Guardians, Monsters, or people--specifically of the hostile kind.

Link seals his bag and gets up from the ground. His eyes eventually meet yours and once again, they’re unreadable._ I wonder what he’s thinking._

“Are you okay?” you ask, breaking the silence. Knowing him, he’ll most likely say ‘yes’, but you still wanted to ask.

He nods and gives a small smile. You can’t tell if it’s forced or not. He does it quite often.

“I want to hear you say it,” you press softly.

He pauses for a moment before murmuring, “Yeah. I’m okay, Y/n.”

Him saying your name gives you a warm feeling inside, and for a second, you forget your worries. You sigh to yourself and walk towards him, quickly closing the space between you two.

He doesn’t know what to expect. He doesn’t know what you’re about to do.

You wrap your arms around his shoulders, press your body against his, and close your eyes. He’s warm, and he has a home-like smell coming from his soft, golden locks. You then feel his arms embrace your sides and squeeze gently.

_ I wish we could stay like this forever. This feels so nice. _

“Bye,” you whisper and pull apart after a couple of seconds. You then leave him alone so he can change into his Zora Armor.

You, Sidon, and Link walk to the edge of town, close to a vast lake where Vah Ruta stands in the center. You’re quite the swim away from it, but its size still shocks you. It’s enormous but impressively crafted. 

As you stare at the structure, you fail to notice Link constantly glancing at you. Your affection earlier completely took him by surprise. He hoped you didn’t feel his heart racing through his chest. 

Every part of your body was pressed against him. It felt good. He didn’t even realize how much he missed touching others in such a way.

Sidon gracefully submerges himself in the water, and he turns around with his back facing Link. “Whenever you’re ready, Link.”

Link nods and carefully gets off of the platform to position himself on Sidon’s back. He sturdily holds onto Sidon’s shoulders. “Ready.”

“I’ll call for help if anything happens. I can see everything from here,” you say.

Sidon shifts. “Thank you, Y/n. I’m sure it won’t come to that. I’ll try my best to escort Link safely.”

You smile gently. “Good luck…”

Link turns his head and gives you a thumbs up. “I’ll be back soon.”

You mouth an ‘Okay’ before Sidon swiftly takes off. The water ripples behind him and creates a trail. As they edge closer to Ruta, it begins to react. Its eyes start to glow crimson, and its trumpet noise grows louder and louder. You cringe slightly. 

Sidon is yelling things at Link, but you can’t quite make it out. He’s too far. 

Suddenly, chambers of Vah Ruta open and begin to release massive blocks of ice. The ice hurdles towards Sidon and Link, but Link easily destroys each attack with his arrows. You’re impressed with how he’s able to fire arrows while he’s on top of Sidon. His legs must be firmly wrapped around him. 

Once the first wave of the ice is cleared, Sidon approaches Ruta from the side and Link is able to swim up a few waterfalls that are emerging from Ruta’s highest parts. The Zora armor wasn’t a bluff. He really _ can _ swim upwards. 

Your lips part with astonishment. “Woah…”

As he reaches the top, he fires a shock arrow at these ‘lights’ that lay on the surface. Sidon must have told him to do that because it seemed to cause a significant amount of damage. Then, he dives back into the water. 

If Link was afraid of heights, he wouldn’t be able to do _ any _ of this. 

The same process occurs two more times, except Ruta’s attacks become more ruthless. More ice blocks are fired and it makes the situation worse. 

Still, Link is stronger. After hitting the last light, Ruta freezes in place and sinks slightly. Sidon swims closer to drop Link off. You’re not able to see the entrance, but you’re assuming he made it there safely. 

Sidon returns to you sounding exhausted. Not even a minute later, Vah Ruta acts up again. It’s astonishing how it can return to a normal state in such a short amount of time.

“Did he make it?” you ask, and Sidon nods with a laugh. 

“Link is… _ incredible._”

You beam. Hearing that Link is mostly safe gives you a glimmer of relief and hope. You still don’t know him too well, so it’s rather easy to give into negativity. He’s the _ Hero _for a reason. He’s stronger than you gave him credit for. 

Maybe hearing about his demise planted seeds of doubt in your mind. 

However, given his talent that you’ve witnessed first-hand, you now realize that he must have been in an _ extremely _challenging situation to get as injured as he did that day.

Sidon gets out of the water and shakes the lingering droplets off of his toned body. “I already knew Link was an impressive fighter, but seeing it with my own eyes is even better!”

You giggle at his enthusiasm. His personality is positively contagious.

“I’m not worried. I _ was _at first,” he confesses, “But I now know that he will be just fine. He’ll save Zora’s Domain and free my sister’s trapped spirit.”

You nod and glance back at Ruta one last time.

Link is quiet, but your surroundings feel even quieter without him. You had grown accustomed to his company, so currently, it felt like something was missing.

Lunch was quiet. Dinner was quiet. The room you had shared with him was quiet.

Tossing and turning for about an hour now, you huff with irritation and get out of bed. You’re still worried and you can’t help it.

Looking at his neatly-made bed, a strange thought passes through your mind.

_ Would it be weird if I… _

Sheepishly, you make your way to his bed on the other side of the room and gently slide the sheets down. You crawl onto the mattress and pull the bed-sheets up to your neck.

_ I can’t believe I’m doing this. Is this weird? _ You turn to face the pillow and a faint aroma is present on it. _ Is this… Link’s smell? _ It’s natural, _ good_, and indescribable. 

You were able to fall asleep much faster after his smell had fooled you—fooled you into thinking that he was laying right beside you.


	11. Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the late update! I’ve been adjusting to the new online schooling... Enjoy! I’m really excited about these next few chapters ;)
> 
> Stay safe and take care!

Your eyes open lazily, focusing on the pale blue wall in front of you. It’s blank, and it causes you to quickly forget where you even were. 

The sound of gentle water trickling down fills your ears, and soon enough, the sound of soft, deep breathing as well. You feel the arm draped across your body squeeze tenderly. A small smile spreads across your lips at the sensation. “You awake?” you ask, your voice hoarse from sleeping just mere moments ago. 

“Mmm,” you hear, and the voice is also deep from sleepiness.

“Are we gonna get up?” you ask and wipe your eyes.

“Nn-nn,” he replies, indicating a _ no_. 

“I agree,” you sigh and scoot your body back to get closer to him. He peppers small kisses on the nape of your neck, causing you to squirm slightly at the ticklish feeling. His nose is now pressed against your skin, and he sniffs slightly, taking in your delicious aroma. 

“You smell good,” he murmurs, lips brushing against your neck. 

You giggle lazily. “Do I?”

“M-hmm…”

“You too.”

He smiles to himself. After a prolonged silence, he speaks up. “I’m hungry.”

You groan. “You’re _ always _ hungry.”

The faded image turns black as you quickly wake up from your dream. Your eyes open and the same blank wall is revealed in front of you. No arm is draped over your side, holding you lovingly, and no person is beside you.

You roll your eyes with irritation and sigh loudly. “Damnit.” 

You shut your eyelids, trying to remember the dream as much as possible, and one detail comes into your mind. The boy sleeping beside you was none other than _ Link_.

_ I had a dream about him. _Something had been off, though. It seemed like the two of you were older, judging from his deeper voice and longer hair. 

You wondered if he had ever dreamt about you. It’s common and normal for people to dream of those they see every day, so he probably has. 

It’s interesting how dreams can show you _ exactly _ what you want to see and experience.

With Link still gone, you didn’t have much to do in the inn, so you decided to continue sightseeing, speak with a few strangers, and start looking at your map for your next destination. 

The closest Divine Beast from Zora’s Domain would be located in Gerudo Town, Gerudo Desert.

The trip there would need a _ lot _ of water and less clothes. You’ve heard that heat is unbearable at times if you’re not wearing the proper equipment. 

Once you formulated a list and lightly sketched a travel route on your map, you asked around Zora’s Domain if anyone had traveled there before. 

“Only women are welcome,” a young Zora had said to you. 

_ Damnit_. How was Link going to get in? A funny idea of him crossdressing came into your mind, but his face would throw it all off and reveal his identity. 

You could go in by yourself while he waits outside, but the chances of the Gerudo leader telling you about the Divine Beast was slim. If these authorities are to tell anyone about how to defeat Ganon, they’re surely going to tell the Hero. 

You had to think of a way and ask Link when he returns.

Link’s absence lasted longer than a couple of days. That’s how long you _ thought _ it would take, but it’s been almost a week now. Where is he?

On day five, you stayed in bed most of the time, doing nothing but reading about the Gerudo and writing in your journal.

Then, around sunset, there was a light knock on your door. 

You got up and pressed your ear against the door. “Who is it?” you asked cautiously. No one had gone to your room before. Maybe it was the owner?

There was no answer. You opened the door and couldn’t believe your eyes. 

Link stood in front of you. His clothes and hair were damp, he had bruises and cuts littered all over his skin, and parts of his Zora armor were torn. 

“...Hey!” you said to him, still a bit shocked, but a grin made its way on your face. You opened the door a bit more so he could step inside, but he continued to stand there.

“What’s wrong?” you asked. 

He shakes his head lightly with a sheepish look on his face. “She’s free,” he murmurs. “Mipha’s soul is free.”

Your eyes soften. “Really…? You did it, then…

He nods. “M-hmm.”

_ Let me just do it. _

You step forward and wrap your arms around him gently to not hurt his boy in any way. He hugs you back. His scent is slightly faded from the amount of water he’s been in, but it’s still there. It’s nice.

You pull apart. “Let me help you out,” you eye his scratches and cuts. Who had he been fighting? “You’re not severely hurt, right?”

“No.”

“Tell me all about it inside.”

You carefully begin to patch Link up as he sits at the edge of his bed, _ shirtless_. You had tried to be as casual about it as possible, but come _ on_…

“These look like cuts from a weapon,” you commented, gently rubbing a wet cloth against the drying blood. 

“M-hmm. There was this _ thing_, a form of Ganon. It’s what… killed Mipha all those years ago.”

Your heart began to race at the mentioning of his name. “It looked like Ganon?”

“It had the same type of form as that stuff surrounding Hyrule Castle.”

You thought about the dark blood-red color engulfing Princess Zelda’s castle. Ganon’s form has darkness radiating off of it, and it almost looks untouchable, as if it’ll injure you. Link _ really _ fought a monster like that? You wondered if he was afraid.

“It’s powers were water-related,” he continued. “I think that’s because of the Divine Beast. Maybe the powers will vary for each monster I fight.”

“You’re sure you want to do the next one alone?” 

He turns slightly. “You want to come with me?”

“I do. I don’t think it’s fair for you to do all of the fighting.”

“Hmm.”

“If you think I’m going to slow you down, maybe you could train me with the sword a bit? Learning some new techniques with my dagger could help.”

Link was personally worried, but he didn’t want to say no. “Okay. If two are allowed, then you can come.”

“Okay,” you smile behind his back. You wrap one last piece of linen around his left tricep. “I think I’m done. Does anything else hurt?”

“No, don’t think so.” He stands up and looks at himself in the mirror. He appears to be a lot cleaner, that’s for sure. He had immediately taken a shower before you could notice how smelly he truly was. “Thank you, Y/n.”

“Yeah, of course.” You put all of your medical supplies away into your bag. “Oh! I made this,” you show Link your map. “Our next stop is Gerudo Town. We’ll leave whenever you’re ready.”

His sky-blue eyes dart across the map. “Sounds good.”

“There’s one issue though…”

“Hmm?”

“Only women can enter… if a man is seen, he’ll be thrown out immediately.”

He certainly didn’t remember _ that _ detail.

“But, there’s a way for you to get inside.”

“How?”

“You could… disguise yourself as a girl…?”

His eyes widen slightly. So _ that’s _ how he snuck into Gerudo Town one hundred years ago.

“U-uh… alright…” he averts his eyes shyly. He’ll do what he has to do, but in front of _ you _? Seriously?

You giggle. “That’s going to be interesting. You’ll have to be quiet, too, so no one hears that voice.”

The tips of his ears burn red. You can see them peeking out of the sides of his hair. It’s adorable. “Alright,” he sighs. “Anything to save the world…”


	12. Sneaking In

“It’s so _ hot_,” you sigh and take off the light sweater you had been wearing. “I wish I had something smaller to wear, but in Kakariko, heat was never an issue…”

Link chuckles and takes another sip of his water from a bottle he had bought back in Zora’s Domain. His cheeks are red and burning from the scorching sun. You’re both refraining from speaking as much as possible, to conserve both water and energy.

It had taken a little over a week to actually reach the Wasteland Tower at the edge of the desert. It was very rocky and mountainous, but soon enough, you started to see sand in the distance. “Oh thank Hylia,” you exhale, eyeing your map. “If we continue on straight ahead, we’ll reach a rest stop called… ‘Kara Kara Bazaar’. Hmm. There better be some food there.”

“Mmm… hydromelons…”

“Hydromelons?” you echo. “It sounds like a fruit.”

He nods eagerly. “Someone from Zora’s Domain told me about the fruits that grow in the desert. They sound good.”

“Really?” you giggle at his appreciation of food. “Can’t wait…”

Soon enough, you and Link finally arrive at Kara Kara Bazaar by early sunset. It’s a small rest stop surrounded by uncommon palm trees, and there’s a large pool of water in the center. Large and smooth rocks are littered across the area, and you see many people resting on them. It’s a relaxing scene to come across.

There are a few Gerudo guards standing firmly with golden spears and metallic armor. They’re _ very _tall compared to Hylian women—it’s a bit intimidating. You greet one by the entrance and continue to walk through the bazaar with Link. Most of the people there seem to be tourists, just like you.

However, there are also merchants. Many little tents are set up, with food and drinks on display. _ Any _drink right now would be heavenly.

You look up from the sand below you only to realize that you’ve lost sight of Link. “Link?” you call, and he’s ahead of you, already approaching a food stand.

_ Typical_, you smirk with amusement and follow him. “You want to get something?” you ask him, and his eyes are fixated on a giant, circular, green food in front of him. “Are these the hydromelons you were talking about?”

The merchant hears your comment. “Indeed! This fruit is only grown here in the Gerudo Desert. It’s delicious, and it provides a refreshing feeling to the body. Are you interested in purchasing a few?”

“Two, please,” you tell the seller, and she gladly takes the payment and hands you the large fruits. 

You and Link have a seat against a rock across the pond, enjoying the fruit in silence. You look over at him as he eagerly devouring the melon, and its juice drips down his chin. He awkwardly wipes it and slightly turns away from you so you’re not able to see it.

“Slow down,” you chuckle, “or you’ll throw everything up.” 

He takes a massive gulp and nods. “Now what?” he questions.

“Now we have to figure out your disguise,” you wiggle your eyebrows, teasing him. He sighs and looks around.

“The shop here doesn’t sell clothes.” _Good_, he thinks. 

“Damn,” you mutter, thinking about what to do. Maybe you could enter into the town first, buy clothes, and give it to Link outside. Before you had the chance to bring that up to Link, a quiet voice came up from behind you, startling you just a bit.

“Sounds like you’re in quite a dilemma,” a feminine voice says, but something’s off about it. Simultaneously, you and Link turn around to find a Gerudo woman crouched down.

Your eyes quickly scan her body, and personally, her body looks rather masculine, but her face is covered with a fashionable piece of cloth, so you’re not able to really tell. 

“Sav’saaba,” she says, and you’re aware that phrase means ‘Good evening’ among the Gerudo.

Her voice _ definitely _sounds forced. Is this a man dressed up as a woman?

“Good evening,” you reply cautiously. “You were listening…”  
  
“Excuse me for that, but I just wanted to say that I can help you.”

“Really? That’d be nice. How?”

“If you take a look at my clothes, you’ll see that this is a common yet fashionable outfit among Gerudo women. I could sell you a new pair for a couple hundred rupees.”

You ponder for a moment. “Could you show us please?”

“Sure,” the Gerudo says and reaches into a bag beside her. A cool gust of wind blows suddenly, and it reveals a part of the woman’s face.

She is _ definitely _a man. Maybe she had the same idea.

She chuckles with embarrassment. “Sorry about that… Our little secret? Here.”

The woman shows two bright-colored sets of female Gerudo clothin—one a sky-blue color and one a snow-white color. The clothes are beautiful and thin, which is perfect for the heat. 

“How much?” Link asks.

“600 each set,” the woman answers.

You internally cringe. That would be 1,200 rupees total. Too much. “Could you leave it at a thousand for both? After all, you’re already selling two at once.”

After a pause, the woman nods. “Alright.” You hand her the rupees and give your goodbyes.

Link chooses the blue-green set, so you’re left with the white one. The more you look at the clothes, the more you realize just how revealing it is. You felt a bit shy about wearing it, _ especially _in front of Link... 

You get up from the ground and brush the excess sand off of your clothes. The sun had just finished setting. _ Perfect._ “Okay, Link, go ahead and change into that. We’ll go to town as soon as you’re done.”

He blushes and stares at the clothes currently resting on his palms. “Right now…?”

“It’s already getting dark. That’ll help. Maybe the guards won’t notice you too much,” you explain, but he’s still bashful about having to dress like a girl in revealing clothes.

You fight the urge to laugh at him. “Go, hurry, come on. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can rent a room at an inn and go to bed. I know your legs hurt.”

He nods and quickly dashes to change behind a large rock. You stay nearby to ensure that nobody peeks at him. After a quick minute, he comes out, and your mouth _ drops _ at the sight.

He _ actually _ looks good, and his body doesn’t appear to be too masculine, so with a quick glance, he might be able to fool you into thinking he’s a young girl. His shoulders, stomach, and calves are the only parts revealed, and the bluish colors contrast prettily with his golden skin. He looks so _ smooth… _wow. His attractive body never fails to impress you. 

“Not gonna laugh, not gonna laugh,” you cover your mouth and get closer to him. He averts his eyes and crosses his arms—the clothes flowing gracefully with his movements. “Pretty!” you slip out a giggle and push strands of his bangs behind his ear to give him a girlier feel. “Link, this is _ perfect _.”

He glances at you and cocks his eyebrow, unamused. “I don’t like this...” His voice is muffled from the face-piece, but you would prefer that he not speak at all. Faking his voice could give away his true identity.

“I’ll tell everyone you’re a mute, so try not to say anything. Leave all the talking to me. That woman we met earlier wasn’t too convincing when she spoke.”

You could tell he smiled from the way his eyes changed.

“Alright, let’s go. The town isn’t too far from here.”

“What about you? Aren’t you gonna wear this, too?”  
  
You shake your head. “Ah, no. I’ll leave it for tomorrow. I’m a bit chilly now.” Truthfully, you wanted to push aside wearing the outfit—at least for now... 

“Me too,” he agrees and wraps a blanket around his shoulders.

After quite a walk, you spot Gerudo Town. You feel more nervous the closer you get to it.

_Please don’t notice..._

“Keep your head a little bit down,” you tell him. “We don’t want the wind blowing away your face-piece.”

He nods and does what you say. You silently sigh with fear as you’re met with two guards equipped with spears at the entrance.

“Vasaaq,” one of the guards says, welcoming you, and you greet them in return. Thankfully, they didn’t eye Link at all. Perfect.

Once you’ve completely made it in, you let out a long breath of relief. Your bag suddenly feels heavy on your shoulder, but the disguise was a success.

“We’re in.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thanks for reading! Next chapter will be interesting ;)


	13. Desire *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW! You’ve been warned, haha.
> 
> (I had to read a lot of stories in order to write this, lol)

“Finally,” you plop onto your bed. The sheets feel cool and refreshing, especially after your shower. “They smell so good, _ wow_.”

Link showered just before you, but his hair is still dark and damp. (You _ still _ can’t get used to the sight of him looking wet or revealing). He bends down to sniff his pillow, and he hums. “You’re right.”

You laugh. “We’re sleeping good tonight. I won’t have to worry about sand on my clothes for a while.”

“M-hmm. That was annoying,” he agrees. 

After about a minute of silence, you get up and begin to peel off the bed sheets layer by layer, feeling eager to be underneath it. Then, you walk towards a large window in the center of the room’s wall and pull the curtains aside to get a view of the town. The inn you and Link were staying at was small—only about the size of two floors—but the view of the marketplace and fountains was _ divine. _The distant sound of chatter and water always put you to sleep nicely. 

“You got a lot of compliments today,” you comment with a light chuckle. When you received no response, you turned around to see that Link had already fallen asleep on top of the comforter of his twin bed. His cheek was cutely squished against his pillow, and his loose hair spilled across it.

He looked so soft and… _ cute._ His sleeping face was always adorable. His lips part every time, letting out gentle breathing sounds.

You tear your gaze away, feeling cautious of the possibility that his ocean eyes could suddenly open and see you stare.

What you said was true. Link had gotten a few compliments today from Gerudo women all over the town. You had heard things like, _ “What a cute little vai!” _ and _ “Have you found yourself a nice voe, yet?” _ and _ “You two are Hylians? Adorable!” _

In other words, the townsfolk were fooled by Link’s disguise. A success!

Still, he’d blush at the compliments. His face may have been hidden, but the tips of his ears were a dead giveaway.

The next day, in order for Link not to feel too strange in his attire, you decided to push aside your fears and dress up as well. After all, it would feel refreshing against the heat, and it’s quite fashionable as well.

You stared into the restroom for a solid minute before rolling your eyes and rushing out into the main room. Link looks up, stares for a moment, and then tears his gaze away so he doesn’t stare. Thank _ goodness _ his ears are mostly covered with fabric. 

You awkwardly stroll past him and pack your rupees into a small satchel to distract yourself. As you do this, he stares at you from behind, eyes glued onto your body. 

Your shape and skin _ immediately _ catches his attention. Your body is so _ nice… _

The more he stares, the more his mind begins to wander, so he focuses on the bedding below him instead.

“Mm-kay, let’s go,” you say.

Thankfully, you slowly began to lose your shyness as the day went by, but on the other hand, Link’s mind seemed to get worse and worse. 

Every little push was purely coincidental, but it was _ sure _ as hell making him internally suffer. Your exposed skin, his thoughts, the slight cleavage revealed to him when you had picked something up from the ground, _ more _ thoughts…

He was afraid he’d get a boner in the middle of the marketplace, so he constantly had to fiddle with the cloth and metal parts of his clothes as a distraction.

While _ you _ were enjoying sightseeing in the town, he wanted to speak to the chief as quickly as possible. _ Anything _ to get his mind off of the situation at hand would be helpful.

For you, Speaking to the chief of the Gerudo was quite… _ interesting._

Riju was her name, and she immediately saw through Link’s disguise. You were worried he’d be thrown out immediately, but Riju kept it a secret. However, nobody else in the town was allowed to know. _ Good._

The Chief told you and Link what had to be done in order to safely approach the Divine Beast. An ancient Gerudo artifact called the _ Thunder Helm _had to be acquired, or else the Divine Beast would electrocute you in a matter of seconds.

The artifact was stolen by a group devoted to Ganon called the _ Yiga Clan_. Their hideout resides in a rocky area here in the desert, so you and Link would have to sneak or break in to retrieve it. Another mission, unfortunately. You hoped it wasn’t too dangerous...

You decided to set out for this hideout tomorrow, and today would be used for gathering supplies. The heat of the day and the chill of the night was not something to be taken lightly, so you knew you’d have to be well-equipped for it. 

After speaking with Riju, you told Link the plan. 

“To speed things up, one of us can gather supplies from outside, and one can buy things here. What do you want to do?” you asked Link so he could make his preferred choice.

“I’m not supposed to speak,” he whispers, “So, could _ you _ do the shopping here in town?”

“Oh, right, oops.” You nod, laughing quite a bit. “Yeah, that’d be smarter. I’ll give you the details now.”

You handed Link a list of items to acquire, along with a sketch of their appearances. You had learned about various plants and foods that grow in the desert, and apparently, they provide certain abilities like resistance to heat, for example. Such vegetation would help you and Link survive in the desert, so you _ definitely _ wanted to obtain it. 

“Why don’t you prepare a light bag of food and water and head out at sunset?”

He cocks his head with curiosity. “Why at sunset?”

“I think you’re more prepared for a chilly night. Take your thick tunic to change into once you’re out of town.”

Link nods. “Right.”

By sunset, Link heads out of the town to look for the plants you had mentioned. Thankfully, you didn’t offer to accompany him since you were sweaty and tired of walking around all day. He personally wanted to be left alone so his mind could be clearer. 

Once he’s completely hidden, he changes into a sweater, trousers, and puts on some sand boots you bought in a clothing store. They made it easier for him to walk. 

Not knowing where to begin, he randomly decides to walk west of the town, searching the ground. He wasn’t able to find anything until the town was almost out of sight, so the walk was taking a while. 

He’s harvested hydromelons, voltfruit, warm safflina, and more. The weight of the hydromelons began to cause his back and feet to ache, so he decided to take a break for a while. 

The desert is filled with scattered and broken ruins, so he spreads a towel across the sand and has a seat with his back against a stone column.

Link begins to think about the events of today, and of _ course, _he gets flustered at the mental image of you in your revealing outfit. 

His heart gradually picks up speed the more he thinks about it. His mind wanders even further, and he’s now thinking about your voice. Hearing something _ suggestive _come from your lips would be interesting. 

His situation worsens. As his thoughts become naughtier, he soon realizes that a familiar sensation is present in between his legs. _ Shit._

Thankfully, though, he’s completely alone. Gerudo Town is hazy in the distance, and the desert is completely empty. 

He tugs at the crotch area of his pants to get rid of the tight feeling. It’s quite a chilly night, but his neck feels like it’s on fire.

He _ could _ easily get rid of this just like other times, but he’s never done it to the thought of someone else before. It seemed so much dirtier, and unlike him.

But, it’s not like you’d ever know. 

That thought convinced him. 

Link lifts his lower body up to leave his trousers just above his knees. He slouches and slides down against the wall to get into a more relaxed position. Then, he hesitantly feels himself up through his boxers. 

The sight of it is embarrassing—always has been—so he rests his head against the stone and watches the full moon illuminating above him instead. Once he’s become fully hard, he peels off his boxers and purposely avoids looking again. It would only feed his guilt. 

Link wettens his right palm and begins to stroke himself slowly, starting at the top, where he’s most sensitive. He swipes a finger over his slit and flinches slightly at the quick spark of pleasure it causes. _ Easy_, he tells himself.

Because of his vivid imagination, he’s able to get a good image of what he wants to envision in his mind. He thinks of everything he wants to do with you, _ to _ you, and what he wants you to do to him. He thinks of your face reddening, your voice becoming sultry against his ear, and your body shifting because of his touch.

As the minutes go by, his thoughts gradually become more self-indulgent. He tries to trick himself into thinking that his own hand is yours instead.

_ “Shh, relax, Link…” you whisper beside him. Your hot breath tickles the skin below his ear. _

He spits into his hand once more and continues with his steady movements. Up… and down… 

The sound of his racing heart is drowned out by low and cool gusts of wind that blow across the desert’s sands. He shuts his eyelids so he can fully focus on the feeling that’s currently beginning to intensify.

As soon as he gets closer, he pauses to catch his shaky breaths and to prevent the moment from ending too quickly.

After his brief moment, Link picks up speed and swallows hard. It’s difficult to keep his breathing under control, so he reluctantly lets his lips part. Even though he _ knows _ he’s completely alone, he’s embarrassed by the soft pants that spill out of his mouth, but the feeling is so good that he’s unable to fully hold himself back.

_ “Don’t hold it,” you murmur and plant a kiss on the side of his neck._

_ Close_. He swallows again and goes faster—ignoring the aching of his wrist. 

The long-awaited and intense, pleasurable feeling overcomes him entirely. A moan slips from his mouth but he shuts himself up quickly by gritting his teeth. His face and body tighten during his high. At his last few seconds, he attempts to prolong the feeling as much as possible—resulting in his hips bucking and twitching from the overstimulation. 

He then allows his hand and drumming heart to relax. After a couple of minutes, he looks down at the small mess he’s made.

_ Damnit_. The guilt creeps up on him again. He lazily pulls out a linen bandage from his pocket and cleans up his lower abdomen. He’d feel incredibly stupid if he had gotten carried away and stained his shirt.

Still, Link is embarrassed for having to resort to doing that, and he’s also guilty for thinking of you the _ entire _ time. 

Whatever… 

He sleepily dresses himself and tries to get up from the ground, but his legs still feel weak. His entire body is weak. _It’s been a while._ _Need another minute. _

His half-lidded eyes gaze upon the moonlight. He’s spent most of his days alone, but now that _ you _ were in the picture, his urges were beginning to catch up to him. 

_But it’s fine, _he convinces himself. _ You’ll never know. _


	14. Protests and Problems

As soon as Link returned to the Gerudo Town inn, it was late in the night—later than he had thought, and he unlocked his room door of the inn as silently as possible, just in case you were asleep. That was very likely. You enjoyed your sleep.

He was right. The room would have been pitch black if it weren’t for the single candle lit at the corner of his nightstand. Your bed is closest to the door, so he spots you sleeping peacefully on your side, facing away from the dim lighting.

He can’t help staring for a moment, but the tender moment is quickly interrupted as his actions from earlier flood into his mind.

_ I can’t believe I did that,_ he thinks, feeling a bit of guilt in his gut. The guilt slowly turned into a feeling of stupidity. 

He then carefully tiptoes across the room, gathers his night clothes, and enters into the restroom to wash himself.

It took a while for Link to wake up. You _ would _have shaken him gently, but he was as stiff as a board, so you let him continue resting for another hour. 

When he finally did awaken, you asked him about the time he arrived last night, and he said he quickly showered and knocked out, not bothering to look at the clock.   
  
He shouldn’t have been _ this _ tired, but you didn’t take the matter any further. He _ did _bring lots of things, so perhaps the weight is what exhausted him.

The two of you were ready to leave Gerudo Town by noon. He left his female Gerudo pants on, but he _ definitely _wanted to change his shirt.

Riju had given you directions to the Yiga’s hideout, and she offered two of her Sand Seals as a means of quick transportation. You had never seen such an animal before, but it travels impressively quick underneath and over the sand. How convenient. You held onto a leash attached to its body as it swiftly slid across the desert. The speed of the animal shortened the trip, and you were able to arrive just an hour later.

It seemed… empty at first, but you soon discovered the actual hideout through a hidden tunnel. Playing it safe, you and Link decided not to engage in any combat. It was much too troublesome. Instead, the two of you snuck past every clan member, eventually coming across the Thunder Helm inside of a chest in a treasure room. Link took some rupees for himself as well.

On your way back to Gerudo Town, he became a bit quiet—quieter than his usual self. His demeanor has always been rather reserved and private, but that only fed your urge to get to know him better. You wanted to look into his mind.

“What’s up?” you ask in a soft voice.

“Hmm?” he turns at the sound. “What?”

“I was just wondering if you were alright.”

He nods. “Yeah, thanks. How about you?”

You noticed how he swiftly turned the conversation around back to you. Something is definitely up. It may be a small matter or a large matter, but you were curious nonetheless.

“I’m fine.” You pause. “Are you sure…?”

“M-hmm. Just a bit distracted, sorry.” 

Right. We _ are _still barely in the clan’s large hideout after all. You dropped the subject.

Link scolded himself for being so obvious. Was his expression giving it away? 

Nothing was really wrong with him. He simply keeps remembering last night’s actions, so he’s making himself swear to never to do it again… at least, not with _ you _on his mind. 

“Link,” you whisper hastily. “Sand seals ahead. We can catch ‘em to get back faster.”

“Right,” he says.

Riju was relieved and thankful to have the Thunder Helm back in possession of the Gerudo. She gave you and Link further instructions regarding how it protects against the Divine Beast. At first, she and Link were going to approach the Divine Beast by themselves because of the Helm’s limited range of protection, but you politely insisted that you go in her place. You wanted to help him—not simply stand by and let him do everything.

She was hesitant on your offer, but you were able to convince her by reminding her that the people need a leader. In other words, protection. She eventually nodded her head in agreement and officially allowed you to go with Link. _ Good_.

Annoyingly, some of Riju’s guards were treating Link poorly whenever she was distracted. The meaning behind their words was subtle, but _ you _certainly caught it, and you wondered if it offended Link. He never said a word against them. Maybe it was out of politeness.

As soon as you arrived at the inn, you took a seat by the window while Link was getting ready to shower.

“You don’t deserve that,” you suddenly said aloud.

“Huh?”

“What those guards said to you pissed me off.”

He stayed silent, waiting for you to continue.

“‘Don’t fail’. ‘You already died once’. ‘Try to stay alive this time’,” you repeated blandly and shook your head with irritation. “Who _ says _that? You’re only putting up with everyone’s shit just for them to bring up the past. Stupid.”

Link feels comfort by your empathy, but he’s also a little surprised by how much this is angering you. He ignored the words of those guards because the more he wallows, the more lost he becomes. He needs to focus and not complain, because he’s not allowed to. Defeating Ganon was his fate, whether he liked it or not. Complaining would be useless.

You continued. “Why didn’t you say anything? _ I _almost did, but… I didn’t want to get us into trouble.”

He gently shakes his head. “Can’t.”

“Why?”

“I have to help them either way.”

You frown slightly. “That’s not fair.”

He watches you carefully, the reels in his head turning. He’s quite interested in your perspective. “Why not?”

“Some people don’t deserve saving,” you scoff.

“You’re right,” he agrees. _ So _right. “But, it still has to be me.”

You sigh with defeat, knowing that he’s destined for such a stupid and unfair future. Why did it have to be him? Why should _ he _have to put himself in danger for all of these people? It’s a kind act and all, but they should fight for themselves. It shouldn’t have to be placed on his shoulders alone.

And yet he takes the pressure and responsibility so well.

“Stupid,” you mutter. “You should be living a normal life. If only you weren’t chosen…”

“No,” he pauses, thinking. “I know this is a lot, and it’s dangerous, but… I don’t know if we would have met otherwise.”

The tension within you immediately relaxes, and you stare at him. Your heart pounds at his kind words.

“I’m alright with this,” Link murmurs with honesty.

He‘s _ alright _with this? What exactly did that mean by that? He’s already accepted his fate and current lifestyle? He’s too kind… Or maybe he’s just pretending to accept it.

“Don’t say that so lightly,” you scoff, throwing a sarcastic tone at him in an attempt to mask your flustered state. Thankfully, he didn’t seem to notice the effect his words were having on you. “We still have plenty of dangerous things to face.”

“I know,” he chuckles dryly, imagining what is to come. “But we’ll get through it.” He goes inside the restroom and softly shuts the door without saying another word.

You’re left alone by the windowsill with nothing but your thoughts to give you company. The conversation with Link played in your head once more.

Did you _ really… _mean that much to him?

  
As the warm water trickled down Link’s body, he pondered about what you had said. The anger within you intrigued him. You cared so much about what the others had been saying to him. He didn’t know what to think of your kindness.

He extends his arm out and rests his palm against the wall, staring at the tub below. After a while of thinking, he comes to the conclusion that he _ does _ indeed have deep, romantic feelings for you. They’re really there. How to _ express _them was a different story, however…

He _ could _ try dropping little hints in hopes of you being able to catch them. Maybe you could become something… Maybe this pressure isn’t so bad if you’re with him.

The weight of the world on his shoulders is definitely heavy, but he met you. It felt like fate. 

_ I don’t regret what I said, _he also thinks. He may be soft-spoken and withdrawn at times, but he wants you to know you’re appreciated.

You didn’t have to join him and put your life in danger. You didn’t have to at all. 

A small smile subconsciously spreads across his lips, and he almost forces himself to frown. _ Thank you, _he thinks to himself and stops the flow of the water. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y/n was about to fighttt lol


	15. Dunes and Danger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is about the attack of Vah Naboris!

_ Hints it is. I think I’d rather die again than tell her how I feel with words_, Link ponders with a thumb lightly rubbing against his bottom lip. _ I’m not that patient when it comes to some things, so I might as well just go for it, right? But for now, I’ll observe carefully._

“Do you want me to wear it? Or do you want to?” 

Your voice causes the rotating cogs in his mind to come to a halt. “Whatever’s easier for you,” Link answers with ease, but he seemed to be distracted just moments ago.

“I think _ you _should. You’re better with crazy movements. This’ll probably fall off of my head and get us killed,” you chuckle dryly and gesture at the Thunder Helm currently resting on the palms of your hands. If you and Link were going to be dashing quickly through the sand while being dragged by sand seals, he might be better equipped for the job. You hand him the Golden Helm and he raises it to place it onto his head.

You tighten the straps of your bag to make sure it doesn’t come loose while you’re in motion. The last thing you’d want is for your supplies to fall behind while you’re approaching Vah Naboris. “Hey,” you say while you organize your arrow quiver, “what were you thinking about just now?”

He equips the Thunder Helm and it covers his eyes. A transparent, mint-colored barrier surrounds the two of you. “I don’t know, thoughts?” he teases. 

“Fiiine,” you sigh and stand in front of him. “You really can’t see with that on, huh?”

Link shakes his head. The sand below him was the only apparent thing in his vision. “You’ll have to guide me.”

“Yeah… I wish we had enough time to practice,” you click your tongue. “Do you trust me?”

All you can see is a smirk on his lips. “We’ll see.”

“Hah,” you laugh incredulously. _ What a tease. _ “Yes, we will.”

Before taking off, you made sure that you can easily access the bomb arrows inside of your quiver. Riju gave you a detailed explanation on how to approach the beast and get it to fall. You and Link will have to get close with the sand seals, stay within the Thunder Helm’s range to deflect the thunder blasts, and shoot all four legs of the beast in order for it to collapse. Then, you’ll have to quickly climb onto it before it stands back up again. It seemed extremely difficult and almost _ frightening _ because you had to guide Link’s sense of direction and successfully shoot the arrows.

You tie another knot to fully secure the rope on your waist. “Alright, I’m ready. You?”  
  
He nods. “Let me know.”   
  
“Okay… go!”

Link roughly tugs at the rope, and the sand seal swiftly sinks into the sand and immediately lunges him forward. You mirror his actions to keep up.

_ As long as I don’t fall behind or get too ahead of him, I’ll be fine_, you think. 

The cool wind blows and brushes against your face. It’s almost exciting to be doing this with Link—if only your circumstances weren’t so dangerous. His speed is _ just _perfect too, and you’re easily able to stay behind him.

However, the more you got closer to the beast, the foggier the air became. You heard thunder and saw flashes of lightning in the distance, but it was all blurry. It was difficult to see anything in front of Link... You squinted your eyes in order to see clearly.

Once you two were completely engulfed in the thick, dark, and sandy fog, you felt the ground slightly rumble. It was like a rhythmic earthquake underneath the soles of your flat shoes. Were those the beast’s footsteps? Just how large was this thing? You still weren’t able to make out its shape or form, but you _ did _know it resembled a camel. As of right now, though, it just looked like a faded inkblot.

“All clear?” Link asks, his voice almost gone with the wind.

“Yeah, you’re good. I thought there would be some rocks in our way, but, I guess not.”

As if on cue, a stone column appears out of nowhere, and Link is about to crash into it.  
  
“Move right!” you holler quickly, and he barely manages to steer the seal to dash in the other direction. He slips a little bit in the process, but he rapidly restores his footing. If it were _ you _wearing the Helm, your head would have probably slammed against the column. His reaction time is impressive.

You can hear him catching his breath. The sudden command must have startled him. “Thought you said it was all clear!”

“Sorry!” you call, “I can barely see anything. It’s really foggy.”

“It’s fine!” he responds, but truthfully, he felt a bit winded. _ That was too close... _“I’ll slow down a little to make things easier.”

“Yeah!”

Link’s speed decelerates, and it’s so much more helpful. The tension that had been building up in your body started to lessen, and you were now more relaxed.

“Move to the left a bit,” you warn him. “I think I see something.”

He does what you say, and thankfully, you were right. A large boulder passes by you.

After a while of the same process, the volume of the thunder and the beast’s footsteps begin to get louder. You could feel it rumbling within your chest. _ We must be getting closer._

Suddenly, a bright flash of lightning strikes in the distance, causing a quick, blaring, and ripping sound of thunder. It causes you and Link to jolt slightly, but it didn’t just affect the two of you…

Your sand seal below the soft ground became startled and skittish, and it instantly picked up speed and scattered about. 

“Shit!” You lose your footing and fall bottom-first onto the sand. 

“Y/n?!” Link yelps, turning around quickly. His sand seal seems to be moving quickly as well, but it’s not as frightened as yours, and he’s also bent his knees to avoid falling over.

You desperately grasp at the rope on your waist so you don’t lose the animal. The seal continues to travel at a fast speed, and its movements are intense and sporadic. Grains of sand fall into your eyes and you’re trying to blink away the uncomfortable sensation, but being dragged across the ground certainly isn’t helping. Flashes of sand and darkness are the only images you’re able to make out. “I’m—!” you stop and choke on the sand that’s violently entering your mouth. “I can’t slow it down!”

_ Think, Link. What do I do? If I stop, she’ll get ahead of me and leave my sight. If I take off the Helm, who knows when that thing will attack? It’s closeby, too—I can hear it. _

The footsteps of Vah Naboris get louder and louder, until you barely manage to see its silhouette in the fog. It’s even more massive than the last beast…

“We’re getting closer!” Link warns. He decides to go with Option B. “I’ll help you out!”

“No, you can’t!” you shriek, eyes completely screwed shut. “We’ll both get killed if you take that thing off!”

Link ignores your words and removes the Thunder Helm from his head, causing the barrier to dissipate. He reaches behind him to grab your hand, but you can’t even reach it. He’s too far, and the seal keeps moving around aggressively. 

He quickly thinks of another idea. He firmly pulls the rope at his waist to get his seal to stop moving. As he begins to slow down, your speed remains the same, so you roughly collide into him.

It worked. Your sand seal has finally come to a halt. “O-ow, sorry…” you rub your eyes and finally open them.

Link is also on the ground, with messy (cute) hair and body covered in sand. His topknot had come loose.

“Thank you,” you breathe. “Are you hurt?”

“A little bit,” he confesses, “but it’s nothing. Let’s keep going.”

A strange sound interrupts your brief conversation. It sounds far away, and you don’t recognize it either.

“What is that?” you try to concentrate on the noise that’s gradually becoming more high-pitched.

Link also contemplates the source for a couple of seconds. Then, his eyes widen slightly once the realization sets in. _ It must be Naboris. _ “The Helm,” he mutters and gets up right away, looking around. It must have left his hand after you crashed into him.

“What? What do you mean? Naboris is all the way over there,” you gesture at its dark and faraway outline. There was no way it could attack from such a long distance. It must be some other enemy.

“Hurry!” he yells. 

His holler scares you, so you stand up as well and scan the sand. A gleam of gold catches your eye from a couple of feet away, so you point. “There!”

You had never run so fast in your entire life before. Link, too, was dashing and he managed to grab the Helm first. He equips it right as a lilac-colored beam strikes you two, and the barrier _ actually _manages to deflect it.

So it _ was _Vah Naboris. The deadly lightning beams that Riju had warned you about...

“Oh my goodness,” you sigh, feeling fatigue. Your heart was pounding so hard that your arms were becoming numb. “You… were right…”

Link lies back against the sand and catches his breath.

“How did you know?” you question.

“I didn’t… just a gut feeling.”

You laugh nervously. _ Quite the gut feeling that was_. “Thanks again…”   
  
“Are you alright?”

“Winded and sore, but yeah.” You dig through your bag to take out some water bottles. “Thirsty?”

He nods. “Yep.”

You hand him a bottle and he desperately chugs it without the Helm. You focus on your own bottle so your thoughts don’t get carried away again.

Link then dusts away the sand that has stuck onto his body. You make your way to your seal to soothe it. “Shh, shh…” you rub its head gently. The animal seems to have calmed down now. _ Hope it stays that way. _

You also guide Link to his seal so the two of you can finally get to Vah Naboris. “Ready.”

“Try not to fall this time,” he teases, and thankfully, you’re not able to see the amused expression on his face.

“Just shut up and go,” you mutter with a grin, and he takes off.

_ Let’s try this again. I won’t fail._


	16. Attack!

The stomps of Vah Naboris are even louder now that you and Link have gotten close to it. 

Suddenly, the Zora and Gerudo didn’t seem so tall anymore. _ Anybody _ would feel like an insect next to this beast’s feet. Falling underneath a powerful and enormous sole would _ surely _ grant a quick and painless death… yikes.

“Arrows ready?” Link questions, waiting for your signal.

You take your bow into your hands and let out a deep breath to keep yourself from shaking. “Yeah. Let’s get closer first. Go to the right.”

Link guided his seal as you instructed, and you told him to stop as soon as you reached the perfect distance: not too far for your arrows to miss, and not too close for the blast to harm you. All you needed now was good timing. You’ll have to be quick.

“A _ little _ more to the right, Link, and go faster,” you instruct.

Link does what you say. A smirk creeps upon his lips at your assertive tone, too. He finds it _ pretty _ hot when you’re in ‘serious’ mode.

You draw an arrow and fire it, successfully hitting the back right foot. Lilac-colored sparks disperse from it. Three more to go.

“Got it!” you exclaim with a grin. “Now go to the left.”

“Nicely done,” Link compliments, and you can’t help but feel giddy from it, “even though I can’t really see anything.”

You chuckle while firing another bomb arrow, and you hit its back left foot. Everything is going smoothly so far. And because Link’s Thunder Helm is working just fine, you don’t even have to worry about the lightning blasts hitting you from above.

And now for the two front legs. It’ll be quite tricky to hit those, because it’s dangerous to shoot while in front of the beast. You don’t want to be trampled.

“We’ll have to go under it!” you tell Link.

“Guide me carefully,” he says, “I won’t be able to help you.”

“Yeah,” you nod, taking a breath, “Okay. Let’s take this slow.”

As cautiously as possible, you manage to get Link to stay in between Vah Naboris’s back legs at a constant and safe distance. Now at its underside, you can fire more arrows at the remaining two legs. 

“Stay just like this. This is perfect.”

You draw a bomb arrow and take aim. Your years of training in archery definitely paid off, because you didn’t waste a single arrow. Once you hit the last leg, more sparks disperse and the entire beast pauses in place. 

“Go right! Let’s get out of here!” 

Link takes off and you follow from behind. You go as fast as you can, because you can hear creaking. The beast is going to fall any second now. 

Once you’re barely out of its range, Link removes his Helm and watches the beast’s legs begin to slip into the sand. You both cover your ears as it makes contact with the ground, causing a violently loud crashing noise. The soft earth beneath you shook as well.

“Let’s go!” you instruct Link as you quickly cut the rope that was attaching you to your seal. The animal leaves as you begin to run for the backside of the beast with Link following behind.

He’s a very fast runner, so he manages to climb up the inclined end of the beast before you, and he waits. As you continue to run, your foot sinks into a shallow hole in the ground, causing your steps to come to a halt.

Link’s heart drops as he watches you struggle against the sand. Something just _ always _ has to happen to you… He’s about to lunge forward and help you until you stop him.

“I got it!” you wiggle your foot out of the ground and continue running. 

As soon as you’re almost there, the beast makes a sound and starts to slowly get back up again. _ No no no. _ At the very last second, before the platform is out of reach, you jump to latch onto the ledge. Your arms burn at the quick and rough contact, but Link swiftly grabs ahold of your wrist and helps pull you up and over.

Your hearts continue to race with both fear and relief as the beast is finally on its feet again. 

“Thanks again,” you say and he nods in response, making your way towards a shady area, away from the harsh sun. “I think it’s safe to say that this desert is against me. Not my thing.”

He cracks a small smile at your joke and ties his hair up into another topknot because the heated air is too much to bear. 

“I think you’re right,” he adds, earning a scoff from you. 

“Anything you’re _ not _ good at handling?” 

Link ponders your question for a moment before answering, “Being surrounded by guardian stalkers, maybe.”

Link must have been in a _ very _ challenging situation for him to lose. Not to mention, he was protecting Princess Zelda the entire time as well. You were determined to _ never _ become a burden that would cause him to get hurt, or worse…

“You don’t have to think about that anymore,” you tell him. “Again, it’s in the past, but if we _ were _ to find ourselves involved in something like that, I wouldn’t let you die.”

He’s silent and listening to your words carefully. 

“I’d fight, too. I’d try.”

He pauses and then says, “I know you would.”

“Yeah…” you mumble, turning away. “Want to head in?”

“Sure.”

The size of the beast is intimidating, and the inside is quite complex. Luckily, you were able to acquire a map thanks to the Sheikah technology, so at times, you and Link would split up to find your way around. 

The enemies weren’t _ that _ bad—just a few little guardian scouts here and there. It wasn’t anything you couldn’t handle by yourself. 

Same with Link. He fought against every little threat with ease.

As the hours would pass, you and Link would rest close to each other at times to recover. The stomping of the beast was quite distracting at first, but exhaust would quickly take over and you’d fall asleep with ease. 

Link was watching over you, making sure nothing would happen. At the far end of the beast, he could see the sand dunes and stars of the night sky. The dim moonlight made his vision and the image of you much clearer. 

Hearing your soft breathing and watching your body slowly rise and fall was one of his personal favorite sights. When you’re sleeping, you’re not thinking of anything, or worrying about the world. You’re _ just _ sleeping, and he likes to see you in that relaxed state.

_ You’re pretty_, he thinks to himself, feeling his heart beat calmly. 

_ Is this what it feels like to be at ease?_

“Mmm…” you groan just barely, and Link notices your eyes moving from underneath your shut eyelids. Your body stirs.

“Y/n?” Link whispers.

Your eyes open and meet his. You immediately yawn before even uttering a sentence. “Go to sleep, Link,” you murmur softly and close your eyes. Your slurred, sleepy words were just barely intelligible for him. 

“I’m alright. Someone has to keep watch, anyway.”

“Link, come on. I’m pretty sure we got rid of all the enemies. Rest before it becomes morning.”

He’s stubborn because he wants to protect the both of you, but your exhaustion isn’t having it. Without thinking, you glare at him, grab his hand with your own, and pull him down. His body quickly falls against the soft set of blankets you had spread across the floor. 

His heart races as he faces you from such a short distance. Your eyes remain closed, and for once, he’s thankful for it…

After a couple of silent seconds, Link murmurs, “You sure?”

“M-hmm, we’re okay. Good night.” You shift around until you’ve made yourself comfortable with your blankets, and begin to rest once more.

Link pulls off his hair tie, and quietly turns to face the other direction, away from you. If he were to move to the side a bit, he’d already be touching you.

_ I really hope I don’t do anything weird in my sleep, _he and you both think.

“Night, Y/n,” he mumbles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual, thanks so much for reading! I’ll have all summer available to write before I start college in the fall :) Stay safe, everyone!


	17. Romance?

After a few days passed, you and Link managed to fully override Vah Naboris. There was a Ganon-like monster that appeared before you at the very last terminal, but Link had your back, and you had his, so the result of the fight was nothing lethal.

Back in Gerudo Town, Riju was very pleased and happy with your success, so she even rewarded you two with special Gerudo weapons. The new bow she gave you was beautiful and gold, so you couldn’t refuse such a kind and well-crafted gift. It felt much studier too. You were eager to use it in action. 

Riju invited you and Link to stay as long as you needed to, so you happily agreed to that. Rest is _ always _ important before moving on. You couldn’t risk getting injured on the road. 

  
  


Link slept at the inn for _ hours_. Your exhaustion eventually dissipated after a good night’s rest, but he continued to sleep even past noon the following day. 

You decided to kill time and take a deeper tour of the town by visiting places you hadn’t gotten the chance to see before. A small opening beside Riju’s home caught your attention. You went inside to take a look around.

The room had a few seats with Gerudo women sitting on them. They were all looking at a chalkboard on the wall, with drawings and words written on it. 

“Sav’aaq!” a Gerudo greeted you quietly. Something must have been going on. She gestured at the other women in the room. “Are you here for the class?”

“Class?” you asked, and she nodded with a grin.

“Yes! Our instructor, Ashai, gives lessons on love! You could stay and listen if you want.”

You chuckled. “Oh, thanks… I’ll just watch from back here.” _ This _should be interesting.

The Gerudo nodded and took a seat. You leaned against the wall and intently listened to Ashai speak. The class was quite interactive, because she asked many questions and gave proper advice, depending on the answers of the other Gerudo. Some women were bold, and some were far too shy. You found yourself unable to relate to anyone, because you were just being _ cautious _ regarding your feelings for Link. Besides, you probably don’t even belong together. His destiny seems to mingle with Princess Zelda’s quite naturally, so maybe _their_ fates are linked.

You don’t even know what he thinks of you.

After the interesting class was over, you realized you didn’t learn much. That _ was _until Instructor Ashai walked up to you.

“Hello,” she offered a friendly and comforting smile, “I’ve seen you around, but I haven’t actually met you. What’s your name?”

“Hi, I’m Y/n,” you greeted. _ Why is she approaching me? _

“First time in the class,” she observed. “What did you think?”  
  
Being polite, you just decided to compliment her. “It’s… _ nice_, being able to receive this kind of help. A lot of women need it.”

She nodded and stood beside you. “I agree! Would you like some personal advice?”

You looked at her with slight surprise. “Oh! Uh… sure, I guess.” _ I’ll bite, why not? _

“Is he a friend, acquaintance, or stranger?” she questioned.

_ Wow, she’s quick_. “Friend,” you answered, “_Good _ friend, I’d say. We get closer every day.”

Ashai cracked a small smile. “That’s nice! Okay… when did you fall for him?”

“Fall for him? I wouldn’t go that far... I just… _ like _him a bit.”

She pondered for a brief moment, running her slim fingers across the sharpness of her jaw. “Hmm, but you’re bound to fall for him, aren’t you?”

You didn’t know what to say. “...I don’t really know much about that. There aren’t many guys my age where I’m from.”

“Do you spend a lot of time with one another?”

You nodded. “Yeah.”

“Your feelings will only grow stronger, then. Your connection with him, too, unless something were to happen.”

She’s right… You and Link were only halfway done with your mission. A lot of traveling still had to be done, and you’re _ always _alone with him.

“Are you open to love?”

You paused, searching for an answer in your mind. Obviously you wanted to be with Link. “I am… I don’t know anything about _ his _ feelings, though. He’s very hard to read sometimes.”

“How do _ you _personally think he feels about you?”

For a minute, you thought of the things he’s said to you, the experiences and conversations you shared, his kindness, his protection of you, his compliments, his teasing, _ everything_.

“Sometimes I think I catch a few hints that are too intimate to be _ just _ friendly, you know?” you told her, “But I don’t know if I want to trust my gut with this kind of thing. I could just be seeing what I want to see.”

“I think you’re in denial of something. The signs could be clear, but you’re still pushing it aside… Are you afraid of pursuing a relationship with him?”

“I—“ you swallow, thinking of Princess Zelda and the end of your journey. After he defeats Ganon, _ then _what? He’ll probably live in her castle as her appointed knight again, and spend the rest of his life fighting enemies that are no match for him. He enjoys wielding a sword, so isn’t that the kind of life he wants? “We’re on a journey to do something… I think that once it’s over, he’ll be with someone else.”

She nodded slowly, taking in every word. “Does he love her?”

You shrug. “I don’t know.” He _ could _ fall for her once she’s saved.   
  
“There’s your answer. If he doesn’t love her, then who else does he enjoy spending time with? _ You_,” she smiled. “If he’s happy on this journey with you, then won’t he fall for you as well?”

You laugh awkwardly. “I don’t know that.”

“Only one way to find out. If you’re not bold enough to tell him how you feel, just hint at it. Do little things. Say a few words, do a few actions… If he reciprocates or seems to like it, then he doesn’t mind the affection.”

In your mind, you’re writing down everything Ashai is telling you. She’s right. You _ could _ act a bit sweeter or leave some lingering touches to see how he responds. There’s no harm in little actions like that.

Also, she was able to get your fear mostly out of the way. Thinking of Princess Zelda as a potential threat was irrational if Link has amnesia. He is a person who can adapt to change, so even if he _ did _ love her in the past, it definitely wouldn’t define his future.

“Thank you, Ashai. I get it now,” you smile brightly, feeling confident.

Before she had a chance to respond, you saw someone walk into the room. It was Link, as a _ girl _ of course, and the expression he gave off seemed to say: _ There you are! _

_ I need to quickly wrap this conversation up before he suspects anything... _

Ashai noticed you turning your head, so she asked, “Friend of yours?”

“Y-yeah, she… we’re here on vacation,” you explained briefly. “But anyway, thanks again… I have to go now.”

“Don’t mention it,” she winked. “Stop by if you have any questions.”

You waved goodbye to her and caught up to Link. “Hey,” you said, and led him outside as swiftly as possible.

“Sorry I overslept,” he murmured so only you could hear him, “What were you doing?”

“Uh… it was just a class I accidentally walked into.” You averted your eyes.

“What was it? I couldn’t read the language on the wall.”

You shook your head to convince him it wasn’t anything important. “It was about romance. Some ladies needed love advice.”

Link seemed interested in the fact that you never left the class. “Was it interesting? You were talking to that woman.”

“Yeah, it was pretty funny,” you laughed. “Some women were a bit _ too _bold, though. I don’t think they’re used to being around men.”

He nodded, not understanding fully. He _ did _ wonder about what was being taught, though. Just _ what _did you hear?

“Let’s go have lunch,” you suggested, and of course, he didn’t turn that opportunity down.

Later that day, when you were busy cleaning up, Link managed to slip away and go back to that ‘love’ class. He was curious about your conversation with that woman, so he decided to investigate.

Once he found Ashai finishing up her lecture, he used his hands to ask her what she was doing, since he wasn’t able to speak. She caught onto him being ‘mute’ and explained that she gives love advice to women who ask for help. After receiving his answer, he left the room and gazed upon the darkening sky above him.

_ The instructor was helping her. Most likely… _ he thought to himself. But why? Did you have feelings for someone back in Kakariko Village? Or… was it _ him_? That was a possibility too. The thought made his heart jump, but he needed to be rational and not get too ahead of himself.

_ I wish I could read her mind. Should I give more hints? _ he considered. _ Please stop being so blind, Y/n… I’m starting to get impatient. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned for flirting next chapter!


	18. Contact

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I saw this headcannon that BOTW! Link could be touch-starved, and it made so much sense to me.

The road to Rito Village was becoming a long and challenging one. Thankfully, at this point, you had grown accustomed to walking, but eating and staying hydrated was always a must, or else you would start to feel your body giving up on you. 

As for Link, he feels much more comfortable around you now, so he often starts up conversations with you, and it makes you happy.

Everything was just fine between the two of you. Monsters were always lurking about, but you grew stronger every day, thanks to Link—who helped you train frequently while you were taking breaks.

Not only did you practice fighting, but you took photos together, bought and sold supplies at stables, and made many memories. You had grown closer, of course, but that wasn’t the _ only _thing that changed between you...

His words became more... _ personal_, but they would be expressed in a blunt way, as if he didn’t just say something flirty. It was confusing, and it caused you to remember the instructor from Gerudo Town who had spoken to you about love.

_ ‘If he’s happy on this journey with you, then won’t he fall for you as well?’_

Could that really happen? You don’t even know what kind of girls Link is attracted to. You _ could _ask later tonight… 

Now, as the sun began to set in the area north of the Gerudo Highlands, Link decided that you two should begin to set up camp underneath the shade of a hill, as you usually did.

Once your campfire and blankets were set up, you snacked on some fruits and had small talk with Link.

He was sitting comfortably on his blanket, which was a couple of feet away from yours. Watching the dim firelight illuminate his side profile, you suddenly spotted a few small green leaves that had somehow ended up underneath the roots of his hair. 

He didn’t know why your eyes were suddenly fixed on him, or why you were scooting closer.

"Oh—wait, you’ve got something here..." As soon as your fingertips and nails came into contact with his scalp, his ears twitched, and he felt chills at the nape of his neck. You halt, not understanding what had just occurred, and withdraw your hand. You also tried to meet his eyes, but they were currently looking at the grass below. "What was that? Did I excite you or something?" you kid, and he blushes without you noticing.

_Sensitive?_ _Or ticklish… _You ponder internally._ Either way,_ _I kind of liked that reaction from him… _

Link shakes his head, your smutty comment persistently echoing in his mind. "Nothing. Go ahead, sorry."

You're still confused, but you do as he says and pick out the leaves, tossing them onto the ground once they were out. "Aw come on, what was that?"

"Don't know," he says nonchalantly, but still not daring to look into your eyes. "Guess it... felt nice."

You swallow, taking his honest words in. "Oh, really?” You didn’t quite know how such a simple touch could give him a large feeling of comfort, so found yourself at a loss for words. “_ Really~? _” you ask again, but this time with a more amused tone.

“Never mind,” he murmurs, and fortunately, the firelight hides the redness in his cheeks. 

“No, no, you’re not getting out of this one.” you wave your hands, ignoring him. “Let me see—” you reach over to tickle his head again, maybe even his ears too, but he swiftly ducks away from you, a smile spreading his lips apart. You’re _ too _much.

“_Stop_,” he chuckles the word and grabs your wrists—his firm touch making you feel butterflies. You lock eyes with him intimately for a moment and eventually give up your efforts.

_ Imagine if I just kissed him—So easy._

Rolling your eyes playfully, you grumble a “Fine”, and go back to sitting on your blanket. “Guess you _ did _get out of that one. Hmph.”

Outwardly, Link seemed like his usual self, which was fine, but inside, and unbeknownst to you, he couldn’t have felt more different. He was nervous—heart racing because he was afraid of what might have happened if you kept touching him in such _ sensitive _areas... His ears were absolutely OFF-LIMITS, but you obviously didn’t know that. Still, the fact remained that your hands were more dangerous than you thought.

To change the subject, you decided to bring out _ that _question. “Link, can I ask you something?”

He hums in response.

“What kind of girls do you like? I don’t think I’ve ever asked you that before.”

Caught by surprise, he turns to you and shrugs. “Don’t know. Someone like you, maybe?”

Your heart suddenly picks up speed. _ Not the answer I was expecting. _“And what am I like…?”

“Um…” he pauses, choosing the right words to say to you.

“_Um? _” you mock him. “You’re thinking bad about me!”

Link cracks a grin and almost begins to laugh. “No, just thinking.”

“Right,” you tease, and give him a quick minute. “Choose your words carefully~”

“Mmm, nice, good, and not annoying. I don’t know what else to say.”

You give him a false frown. “Wow, _ thanks._”

“Strong, passionate, funny…” he continues, and you feel your glare begin to melt away. “...understanding, considerate, smart…”

Your physical features subconsciously softened when he was describing you. A smile almost forced itself upon your mouth. “Really?”

He nods while looking forward absentmindedly.

“Thank you,” you grin, eyes falling to your lap. You didn’t know he thought so well of you. Being on good terms with him meant a lot to you, so it was relieving to hear such a thing come from his very lips.

“What about you?” he questions. “What kind of guys do you like?”

“Someone like you, maybe,” you echo with a short laugh, and he does too.

“Nobody at Kakariko village catches your attention?”

You scoff. “Pfft, no.”

Link thinks about how big the world is. “You could always meet someone in a different town, can’t you?”

He brought up a good point, but then again, he still didn’t know about your true feelings. “I _ could_, but, I don’t need to.”

A glimmer of hope shines within him. _ Maybe there’s a chance… _ “No?”

“No,” you hum with genuine content. “I think I’m okay with what I have.”

Link tilts his head rather adorably. “Not following.”

“You’re such a dummy,” you roll your eyes. “I meant _ you_.”

_ Just what is she trying to say? _ “Still not following.”

You scoff jokingly. “I already have fun with you, so, I’m not really looking for anyone in particular just yet.”

He nods slowly. “Right.” He couldn’t exactly tell if that was a compliment for him, or a way of saying you don’t want to pursue a relationship right now.

You looked up at the starry sky with heavy eyelids. “I think I’m gonna go to bed, okay?”

“Hmm.”

You grabbed another blanket from your bag to drape over your body. “You?”

His eyes squint slightly. “Mmm, nah, not yet.”

“Well, if you want to take a look at how far we are, the map should be underneath my bag.” You turn away from the bright campfire and then shut your eyes. “Good night,” you murmur.

“Night, Y/n.” Link quietly grabs your map to see the route you’ve been taking. Rito Village isn’t that far away now! If he were to get on high ground, he might already be able to see the Divine Beast flying in the air. You told him that Vah Medoh’s form was that of a large bird, which makes sense, given how Rito’s appear to look. He felt excited that this was the second-to-last beast. Then, he’d get the Master Sword, defeat Ganon and take a long, long nap.

However, a realization suddenly dawned upon him: What were _ you _ going to do after this? Once Princess Zelda is saved, would he become her appointed knight again? Would he live in the castle with her? Would you just go back to Kakariko and move on?

No, he refused to believe that. You were the one who wanted to accompany him on this journey. You _ chose _ to, so he assumes you’ll stay close. _ Hopefully_.

He wants you to know about his feelings _ before _all of this ends. And you will.

As soon as dawn broke out the next day, you and Link walked for hours until finally spotting Rito Village in the distance around sunset. The village was on a single piece of tall ground in the center of a ravine, with nothing but water lying below. Its houses and stores spiraled higher up the rock, and Vah Medoh was flying directly above. 

You hoped the beds weren’t at the very top.

“It’s really pretty and all, but I think it’ll be even higher once we get closer,” you paused, looking it up and down. “Good thing you’re not afraid of heights, huh?”

“We wouldn’t have gotten anywhere if I had a fear like that,” Link agreed.

“Do you have _ any _irrational fears?” you questioned.

Before Link could have an opportunity to answer, a Chuchu suddenly rose up from the ground, ready to pounce on Link. “Watch out—” you swiftly grabbed his hand and pulled him back before it had a chance to touch him. The little suckers are small and almost _ cute_, but they did hurt quite a bit.

You pierced the Chuchu with an arrow, turning it into blue jelly. You then let go of Link’s hand to grab and put away the resource. _ I can sell this later._

Link still felt the remnants of your palm against his, even after you had pulled away only moments ago. There was just _ something _about your fingers and hands that gave him such a comfortable sensation. He couldn’t even imagine what a long hug from you would feel like, but he knew he’d enjoy it and want to experience that embrace forever. You’ve only ever hugged once before, but it wasn’t enough.

“Hey, do that again?” he asked, not really thinking, and his voice was quiet and shy.

You got up from the ground and looked at him. “Do what?”

Avoiding your eyes, he slips his hand into yours, holding it gently. “Does it… bother you?”

You were confused and slightly flustered, but you played it off for now. “Uh, no! But… why?”

He shrugs, not understanding why himself. “I don’t know.”

You stare for a moment, wondering why he wanted to hold your hand. It’s _ obviously _ not a friendly gesture, but there seemed to be something more profound in his reasoning. “Okay… let’s continue walking, then.”

He nods, following your lead. _ Was it stupid to do this? _Holding your hand, he suddenly felt small, vulnerable, but he ached for more.

You step onto the first wooden bridge and chuckle. “It feels sturdy—_good _.” There was no wobbly sensation, and the planks felt firm at your feet. You then continued to walk with Link still holding your hand. His palm was warm and gentle.

As soon as you reached the entrance, you were greeted with a Rito guard holding a spear. You briefly explained why you two were here, and the kind, tall man gladly gave you further instructions. You were to speak with Kaneli, elder of the Rito. 

Once you began to walk up the stairs to reach Kaneli, Link’s palm slipped away, falling to his side. You look at him. “Link?”

“Nothing, sorry,” he shakes his head with an unreadable expression.

“Okay,” you say, unable to utter any other word. “We’re almost there.” _ What was that? _ you pondered. _ Why did he let go?_

Link was too anxious to continue. Had he become too attached already?

After receiving a rundown from Kaneli, you and Link found a place to rest. There weren’t any other tourists, so for now, it was just you two renting beds. 

Now, sitting on the edge of your bed, you continued to write about today’s events in your journal. You _ definitely _made sure to include the handholding from earlier…

You wanted to ask him about it, but you decided not to. Besides, he didn’t seem to explain earlier, so he probably won’t explain now. Still, that didn’t stop your curiosity. What could it have meant?  
  
Wait. Could Link possibly be touch-starved…? You had heard of the term before, but you had never actually met anyone who suffered from it.

All of a sudden, you remembered Impa mentioning that he barely knew his parents. He was raised in a forest, alone. He became a knight at a very young age. It all made sense.

_ How did he survive being alone for all of this time?_

You wondered how he could even manage to smile. How he never complains. How he continues to help others and endanger his own life. The thoughts and memories you were currently having of Link caused hot tears to bubble in your eyes, and before fully processing it, you heard a quiet _ pat _sound. A droplet had fallen onto a page of the journal resting upon your lap. You looked down, your vision blurring with wetness.

Link, not asleep yet, heard the subtle sound, and it caught his attention, so he sat up from his bed and turned to you. Your back was facing him, so he couldn’t make out what he heard.

“Y/n? What was that?”

You quickly wiped your eyes before they could start to swell and redden, and placed your journal inside of your travel bag. “Oh, nothing,” you shook your head, gaze falling to the floor. “That was my pencil.”

He hummed, indicating that he understood, and then lied back against his soft, feathered bed. 

A few Rito were awake, and you could see them from far away. Feeling the wind against their feathers must be so nice…

“I wish I could fly,” you laughed gently. “Don’t you?”

“I can,” Link said nonchalantly, and you whipped your head around a bit too fast.

“What do you mean ‘I can’?!” you exclaimed, but not loud enough to disturb the other slumbering Rito.

He grinned but not fully. “Well, it’s not _ flying_, but, I have a paraglider that we haven’t needed to use yet.”

“You do? You _ do… _ that’s right!”

“Once we’ve overridden the Beast, we could climb to the top of the village and use it. I only have one, though.”

You visibly cringed at the idea of it. You _ might _ have done it if you both were sharing a paraglider, but alone? That could get dangerous… “Uh, nevermind then.”

“Scared?” he threw up an eyebrow. 

You scoffed. “_Right_.”

“You are,” he gave a boyish smirk. 

“Whatever. Good night!” you threatened to hit him with a pillow and got yourself comfortable beneath your bedsheets. 

Link smiled again. “Night.” As soon as his eyelids shut, the image of your hand in his flooded his mind, sending butterflies to his stomach. 

Your touch was always warm and soft—unlike anything else he’s ever felt before. Although he clearly knew that you were tough and could handle yourself, there was still no roughness in his eyes. No sharp edges. You were so good to him. Your presence was _ addicting _ to be around.

He never thought he’d have somebody like you in his life, and that thought alone made him realize, _ Maybe I am falling. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I read each and every one of your comments, and they make me so happy <3 Thank you so much for the love! I wish I could reply to them all... ><


	19. Fly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, it’s been a long while! So sorry for that wait everyone! I just started college so I’ve been very busy. Thank you for the patience. The next chapter might be another long wait so I apologize in advance :/ Enjoy this though!

The next day, you and Link found and spoke with a Rito named Teba, who—along with another—tried to confront Vah Medoh, but the situation didn’t end well. Because of it, Teba had almost given up, but Link managed to convince him to fly him there with just a few words, and with a demonstration of his skills. Teba also must have seen Link’s determination in getting the Beasts back on your side.

The cloud-colored Rito also explained to you that he would only be able to take Link because he was a Champion, and because multiple persons couldn’t be carried on his back. Teba’s other friend got badly injured, so there was no way for you to accompany Link. 

You weren’t too disappointed or worried. Besides, Vah Medoh didn’t seem as difficult to convert as Vah Naboris, for example, and Link was strong. He should be fine.  
  


After a couple of hours, Link and Teba gathered their equipment, attire, and took off from Rito Village. You watched from below as Link shot fire arrows at the beast, detonating its cannons to disable its protective barrier. Because they were so small and high up, you weren’t able to make out everything that was occurring at times. Clouds would often get in the way and blur their forms.

Once you heard the distant sounds of bombs come to a halt, you assumed that meant Link successfully gained access to enter.

Answering your question, you saw Teba descend from the sky and return to his wife, who had been worried about his safety. You smiled, surely knowing that Link would succeed.

_I wonder if he’ll receive a gift from Champion Revali_, you pondered. Link had told you that when he freed Mipha’s condemned spirit, she granted him a gift of revival if he were to ever die in battle. It was a special ability, but it could only be used once in a while, and not even by his own will. You hoped he would never need it.

Urbosa also gave Link a gift of thunder and lightning, which can strike any opponent within a certain range. It can be used three times at most before needing to recharge, and he’s already used it when fighting monsters. Quite the useful skill.

_Maybe he’ll be granted the ability to fly._ Wouldn’t that be something!

A day passed. You slept alone that night, hearing nothing but the distant chirping of crickets and a gentle breeze brushing against the curtains that draped over the inn’s openings. The sounds lulled you to sleep with ease. 

Before dawn, you naturally woke up to the sound of shuffling beside you. Opening your eyes and turning your head, you saw those familiar and flowy golden locks tied back halfway with a hair-tie. Was Link really here, or were you dreaming? 

“Link?” you called his name softly. He turned around and brought a finger to his own lips.

“Still isn’t morning yet,” he whispered, and his statement caused you to look around. The sky was still dark from the sun’s absence.

You sat yourself up, while subtly fixing your looks. _Ugh, I hope I wasn’t drooling or anything._ “You’re already back?” you questioned with pleasant surprise, your voice still hoarse, so you briefly cleared your throat. “That was really fast!”

He nodded, taking a seat, fully facing you. Now was when you realized that his appearance was slightly rugged. His hair was a little bit too, but he didn’t seem to be as exhausted as you would expect. “It wasn’t difficult.”   
  
“I’m glad.” You give him a lazy, sleepy smile. “Oh, before you go to bed, why don’t you clean up and change?”

He tilts his head to the side, and a small grin pulls at his lips in a way that looks like he’s trying to hold it back. “Before that…”

You rub your eye. “Hmm?”

“I want to show you something. Up for it?”

You wanted to go back to sleep, but there was something about his tone that drew you in and sparked your curiosity. He seems... _excited._ It’s kind of cute. “...sure, what is it?”

“Follow me,” he gets up from his bed.    
  
You take the sheets off of you and glance down at your night clothes. “We’re not meeting anyone important are we? I’m not fully dressed.”

Link shakes his head with a small chuckle. “No, come on.”

He takes you all the way to the outskirts of town, away from all the bridges. The chill of the night caused you to shiver slightly, but luckily, you had brought a blanket to cover yourself with. 

“Alright, what’s up?” You stand on an open field and Link backs away from you, as if giving himself space. 

“Don’t move from there.” He takes out his paraglider from his utility bag and opens it up like he’s ready to put it to use. Then, he gets down on one knee and closes his eyes, as if concentrating. Soon after, a flurry of wind emits from below his feet, pushing the grass surrounding him aside. Suddenly, he’s soaring higher and higher into the air, creating his own updraft.

Your mouth falls open as he reaches his own peak, not able to go any higher. He flies gently, holding onto his paraglider, and his eyes fall upon you with an evident smirk on his face. He looks at Rito Village and the world surrounding him. The wind feels amazing against the bare parts of his skin, and it flows through his hair graciously.

He looks… _perfect_… You stare, unable to look anywhere else. _How can he look so pretty when he’s smiling like that?_ Seeing him happy is… something else.

As soon as he reaches the ground, he walks over to you. You laugh and exclaim, “That’s so cool! How did you do that?!”

“Revali,” he answers, remembering the old Rito fighter who fell. “He gave his gale to me.”   
  
“Wow…” you trail off. “That’ll be… really useful one day. How many times can you use it?”

Link holds up three fingers. You nod slowly.

“Wow,” you repeat, still in shock. “You looked so cool up there, you know that?”

Your compliment excites him, but as usual, it doesn’t outwardly phase him. “Yeah?” he asks quietly, and shyly, while looking down at his paraglider.

After a pause, he gets an idea and says, “Want to do it with me?”

You blink. “H-huh? How?”

“You can just hold on,” he explains. “I won’t let go, obviously.”

An incredulous laugh erupts from you. “Yeah right! That’s way too high, and I might just slip off of you. No thanks…”   
  
“You won’t fall.”

“Link…” you groan softly.

The moonlight reflected in his now dark blue eyes gleams brilliantly. “I’m serious. I won’t drop you.”

You cross your arms, the danger still present in your mind. “Fine, but if I tell you to put me down, you better.”

“M-hmm.” 

He takes you to where he flew just moments ago, and instructs you to hold onto his body tightly. From the side, you wrap your arms around his torso, feeling awkward the entire time. He doesn’t seem to be embarrassed at all. _How the hell does he do it?_

“You’ll die like that. Tighter,” Link says, and you reluctantly squeeze.

_ I really hope he can’t feel my heart pounding. _

Link _did_ feel _it. Is it because of her nerves or is it because of me?_ Whatever the reason, he couldn’t seem to ignore his own heartbeat drumming within his chest as well. Her body fit so well against his, and the warmth of it once again spread across him entirely. It was… nice. 

“Three… two...” he warns, and you nod, showing him that you’re ready. “One.”

He takes off just like before, and the blanket that had been covering you was now long gone. Cool air engulfs you entirely, and the pressure caused a heavy, sinking feeling to emerge within your stomach. You shut your eyes immediately, waiting for him to reach the maximum height. 

Link feels your grip around him increase. Eventually, he stops soaring upward, and the air becomes still. He glances down at you to see if you’re taking in the view, but instead, he finds that they’re screwed shut. “Hey… open ‘em up.”

You’re hesitant, but you slowly do so. The distant lights in Rito Village look like little stars. You turn your head, careful not to look down, and stare at the snow-covered mountains as well. A hearty laugh slips from your lips. “This is… crazy…” 

As soon as your eyes fall to the ground, you almost regret opening your eyes in the first place, but you and Link are already descending, so you don’t feel too afraid anymore. 

Once your feet touch the earth, you let out a deep breath that you had been holding in. Your tight grip around Link loosens. “My bad,” you chuckle.

He shrugs it off, making the awkwardness immediately dissipate. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Thanks for showing me that. The view was… really pretty.”

Link nods. “M-hmm. Now we can get to Death Mountain faster. Can only use it three times a day though.”

“Right,” you agree. “Do you want to leave in the morning?”

“Yeah. You go on ahead. I’ve gotta shower now.”

“Sure. Thank you again.” You grin and turn around to make your way back to Rito Village. Link steals a few glances and notices you hesitate. “My blanket is... gone.”

He lets out a small chuckle and looks around only to see that it’s nowhere to be found. “Just grab mine. I’ll find something.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, no worries,” he bites back another laugh.

“Alright, thanks… I’ll see you tomorrow.”

As soon as you’re out of sight, Link finds a nearby stream and strips himself of his ragged and dirty clothing. He steps into the chilly water and rubs the dirt off of his body, feeling himself become cleaner already. He shuts his eyes and scrubs his hair thoroughly. 

Once he’s fully finished, he gets out, only to realize that he’s forgotten to bring a spare set of clothing. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Next chapter should be quite interesting ;)


	20. Snowed In *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slight NSFW!

The following morning, you had a fruit-heavy breakfast and packed all of your things before leaving Rito Village with Link. The elder had kindly gifted him with a new bow for all of his efforts in helping with Vah Medoh. 

Before you were able to leave, Teba’s wife insisted that you two stay for a few more hours to indulge in some activities that Rito Village had to offer. You didn’t know what she had in mind, but you agreed because Link’s body needed recovering. He told you he was fine, but his muscles _ must _have been aching from taking back Vah Medoh without a proper break. 

Around lunchtime, you and Link had made some decorative hair pieces from feathers and beads. After that, you also saw a little talent show set up by the Rito children. They were whistling and singing adorably. You took lots of photos. 

By sunset, you decided to finally head out.

Now, at the edge of town, you tightened all of the leather straps on your equipment and clothing. “Another weapon, huh? With so many, you’ll have to get rid of some.”

“You’re right about that. I’ll wait until they wear out and break.” Link readies his paraglider. “Which direction?”

You point East. “That way. Death Mountain isn’t hard to miss.”

“Alright then, let’s go.”

You didn’t get very far. Taking advantage of Link’s new gale _ was _helpful at first, but on his third and last attempt, there was a sudden, strong wind that blew you both away from the road. The sky darkened quickly and the air was chilly as you flew through it—gripping tightly onto Link’s body to prevent yourself from falling. You screwed your eyes shut, awaiting a rough landing.

Thick, cold snow met your left side, wetting your clothes immediately. The blue sky was nowhere to be seen. Dark clouds formed, and snow started to fall a _ bit _too quickly.

“_Shit,_ it’s a blizzard,” you warned and got up quickly to wipe off the excess snow. “Do you think we can make it back to the village?”

“I doubt it,” Link bit his lip pensively. “We’re already too far, and I can barely see.”

He was definitely right about that. There was nothing but hills of snow and tall winter trees surrounding the two of you. The snow coming down from above was beginning to pick up speed as well.

“Damnit,” you whispered to yourself. “Let’s just quickly look around, then. If we don’t find anything… I don’t know.”

“We’ll figure it out,” he says, subtly trying to comfort you.

“Okay…” you murmur and begin to walk in a random direction.

The snow was relentless. At this point, you were barely able to make anything out in your field of vision, so you squint your eyes and held onto Link’s gloved hand. Your lips were chapped and turning blue, and you couldn’t stop the shivering of your body. Link seemed to be struggling too, but he never said a word.

Suddenly, you saw a faint and dim golden light. “H-hey, what’s that?” you shakily breathed, pointing towards the glow.

Link turned his head to follow your finger, and his eyes widened ever so slightly. He nodded and said, “Quickly.”

You two dashed towards the light, but the piling snow wasn’t helping. After a few minutes, the light brightened, and you were able to make out a fire. It was resting upon a sheltered porch, attached to a cabin. You laughed at the sight of it.

The cabin was small and black as night with no one else around. Link knocked on the door, but there was no response, so he let himself in. The small place was empty. You found that strange and almost creepy, considering the fire being lit. Who would step out into such a terrible blizzard? You looked around and tried to listen to any possible pleas of help, but there was no sound, only wind.

Link knew that the empty cabin did not make any sense either, but he was too cold to think about it further. Instead, he shut the door firmly and started a fire at a fireplace in the center of the room. 

There were empty barrels, a wooden table with a seat, and a single, small bed. Once your eyes had landed on the bed, all you could think of was sleeping in it tonight. Would you have to share…?

_ No. Goodness I hope not. It’s way too small, anyway… I’ll just let him take it. _

You ignored your thoughts for now and sat in front of the fire, beside Link. You took off your wet gloves and coat so it could dry. You rubbed your hands together and blew hot air against them, giving yourself goosebumps all over.

Link licked his lips. They were now moist and glistening from the firelight. 

Breaking the silence, you said, “It’s a good thing we found this cabin… That blizzard’s not getting any better.”

“M-hmm,” Link responded, letting his wet, golden hair loose. You watched intently as he placed his hair-tie on the ground and ran his fingers through the locks, getting small pieces of ice out.

_ He’s making it really difficult not to stare. _

After another minute of nothing but the sound of the fire crackling and the muffled blowing of wind, you asked a question without thinking. “Do you think we can beat Ganon?”

Link almost turned to look at you, but he hesitated. Instead, he stared into the fire. Truthfully, he did _ not _plan on taking you to Hyrule Castle with him. This wasn’t your fight, and he wouldn’t be able to forgive himself if something were to happen to you. “Dunno,” he said softly, poking the fire with a wooden stick that had been lying around.

You crossed your legs to feel more comfortable on the cold, wooden floor. “Don’t get me wrong, I don’t doubt your skill… I’ve just heard a lot of stories,” you paused. “He corrupted everything…”

Memories of those guardians attacking your home flashed again in your mind. The distant screaming, the smell of ash, the blasts from afar… 

_ Mom said she’d come back for me with dad, but she never did… _

“Are you scared?” he asked suddenly. There was no hint of amusement or mockery in his voice. And although he already knew the answer, he wanted to hear it from your very lips.

You didn’t bother lying to him. He was quite observant. “Yeah,” you breathed, forcing out a small chuckle to lighten the mood. “Maybe…” you took a look around the small room, “Maybe it’s time to rest.”

He didn’t disagree or press upon the matter further. Instead, he nodded and got up from the ground, feeling hot from the fire already.

“You can go to bed now. I’m going to stay up for a bit and make those Fireproof Elixirs for when we reach Goron City.” Truthfully, you had just come up with an excuse to avoid sharing the bed. You didn’t want to ask him to take the floor because it was uncomfortable, and he wouldn’t let _ you _take it either.

“You sure? It’s late.”

“I won’t be too long,” you gave a false grin to convince him and stall the situation. “You go ahead.”

“Alright,” he nodded and paused for a minute.

As you were taking out all of your ingredients from your bag, you noticed him not moving. “What is it?”

“I uh, wanted to change into some lighter clothes. It’s already getting hot in here.”

“Oh!” You took a short glance at the fire. The room would instantly chill again if you were to put it out. “I’ll turn around.” You awkwardly shifted your body around, back facing him.

You heard his footsteps pacing to where his bag was resting. Then sounds of shuffling. Then more ruffling. He must be already taking off his thick sweater.

You heart beat rather quickly at all of the sounds and how they created images in your mind. The thought of him standing in front of you, slipping his clothing off piece by piece until he’s left with almost nothing was enticing. You’d seen his smooth and golden body without a shirt before, but what would he look like without his pants? His thighs would probably look so pretty spread apart and ready to be kissed and sucked on.

“Done,” he murmured gently.  
  
_ Already…? _you thought, and turned back around. He was now dressed in a thin, beige tunic with light and soft trousers and no shoes. He climbed onto the bed and slipped underneath the covers. His eyes met yours suddenly, and you swiftly averted your gaze.

“Good night,” you barely mustered, and he mumbled the same words to you before pulling the blankets up to his neck and facing in the other direction, sleeping on his side.

You noticed that he was significantly close to the wall. Did he do that on purpose? Was he leaving space for you to sleep there too? You didn’t ask…

Turning your attention back to the ingredients laid out, you rolled up your sleeves and got to work.

After an hour had slowly passed, you sealed your two, freshly-made elixirs and quietly tiptoed towards a small window in the corner to look through it. The blizzard didn’t seem to be letting up, so it was probably going to last all night. 

You sighed softly, still not knowing what to do about the bed situation. There was definitely space for two people if you squished them together, but you didn’t want to be constantly feeling his body beside you.  
  
Scratch that, you _ did_, but you were friends. _ A friend you have a crush on_, you thought.

Ultimately, you decided on taking the floor, even though it was very solid. Those thin blankets inside of your bag wouldn’t do very much. Grass was much easier to rest upon.

You tiptoed again to your travel bag and rummaged through it. Although you were barely making noise, Link managed to wake up.

He turned his head lazily, bangs spilling over his heavy eyes, and he spotted you crouched down on the floor. He couldn’t see what you were doing.

“How come you’re awake?” a raspy, quiet voice sounded from behind you. Your eyes widened slightly, and it was a miracle that you didn’t gasp from the sudden way your heart picked up speed.

You whipped your head around to find Link awake, with a sleepy and unreadable expression. It was difficult to ignore how attractive he looked and sounded. “Was I making noise…?”

Too tired to speak, he simply shook his head no. “Didn’t think you’d take so long.”

“My bad…”

“Mmm,” he responded, and you couldn’t tell if he was irritated or not.

Feeling a bit uncomfortable now, you fully pulled the folded blankets out of your bag. You stood up, still locking eyes with Link. “Do I take the floor or…?” you trailed off.

He made a confused face. “Hmm?”

You paused. “What?”

“Not here?”

He asked it in a way that almost sounded like it was _ obvious _that you two would be sleeping in the same bed. You had no clue, and you didn’t expect him to be so casual either.

“Oh, um… really?” you stalled. “Do we both even fit?”

“That’s why I left this space.”

You already noticed the gap earlier, but you pretended to see it for the first time. “Ah…”

“Y/n,” he mumbled gently. “_ Today _ please.”

“Okay okay…” you chuckled but felt a bit of panic internally. _ I don’t think I’m even going to be able to fall asleep. _ You walked towards the bed and sat upon it. As you slipped inside, Link turned back around to look at the wall. Your faces would have been way _ too _ close to each other otherwise…

You now lied on your back, staring at the dark and empty ceiling. The ambience would have made this feel rather relaxing if it weren’t for the current and _ close _ situation at hand. 

Feeling uncomfortable, you shifted your body to the side, facing away from Link. Not wanting to press your back against him, you moved a bit closer to the edge, slipping a bit as a result.

“Careful,” Link mumbled, and you heard him shuffle behind you. He took a peek at you and realized that you were purposely trying to distance yourself from him. “You could fall like that, Y/n,” he said, his voice sleepy and low.

Your heart continued to race, and although there was a fire lit inside of the room, you still felt chilly. “Um—“

“You can get closer, it’s fine.” He turned back around and sighed with a humming sound. “Night…”

Minutes later, you heard his breathing become even and slow. He must have already fallen asleep. _ Lucky_. Reluctantly, you scooted yourself back a few inches and forced your eyes shut, though there was no exhaustion present within you at all.

You slept through the entire night. Not much sunlight entered the room, so you woke up naturally, and all you were able to see was Link’s sleeping face, directly in front of yours. You held in your breath and quickly turned your head. He still sounded asleep, so _ that _ was a relief. Your heart was already pounding again with the sudden burst of surprise. 

You swallowed, rubbed your eyes, and got up from the bed as slowly as possible. Not wanting to wake him, you took a couple of minutes in doing so. Once your feet met the wooden floor, you fixed your hair and grabbed a pair of fresh clothes to change into. 

If Link was turned to the wall, changing would have been a lot easier. As quickly as you could, you took off your clothing from last night and threw on a new sweater. Thank _ Hylia _ he didn’t move an inch or open his eyes.

You put on some boots and slipped out of the cabin silently and noticed that there was more snow piled up on the ground, but the sky was now clear, which was good news. You wouldn’t have to worry about another blizzard. 

The campfire that had been lit on the patio was now extinguished, and there was nobody in sight. Weird.

Having brought Link’s Sheikah Slate with you, you decided to take some scenic photos. They came out quite nice. 

After spending a bit of time outside, you crept back into the cabin, and it seemed like Link had just woken up. He was sitting with his legs dangling off of the edge of the bed, rubbing his eyes. A blanket was covering half of his body.

As soon as you walked in, he turned and met your eyes. 

“Morning,” you chirped and walked over to your bag to have some breakfast. Behind you, he brought the blanket up higher, not getting up just yet.

“Morning.”

You silently wondered why he hadn’t moved. _ Maybe he’s waiting for me to leave? _ “Are you just going to sit there or…?”

“I’ll get up in a sec,” he faked a yawn. You shrugged it off and took out some fresh red apples.

“Do you want to eat outside? The day’s really pretty.”

He gently cracked his neck. “M-hmm, why not?”

“Alright,” you smiled. “I’ll be outside washing and peeling these.”

As soon as you left the cabin, Link took the opportunity to change clothes, but he also had a little _ issue_...

It was normal for him to wake up with a morning boner every now and then, but did it _ seriously _ have to happen today? With _ you _ right beside him? It was a miracle he didn’t press it against you in his sleep. 

And now, you were waiting to have breakfast with him outside. He’s quite the expert at hiding, but this might be difficult.

_Not impossible, though. It’ll go away soon. _   
  


You heard the door open behind you, so you turned around. Link swiftly crouched down to the floor.

“Missed a strap,” he said calmly and tightened a buckle on his right boot. 

You nodded and went back to peeling your apple. Once he finished, he sat down beside you in a way that subtly concealed himself.

You passed him a freshly-peeled apple, and he thanked you and bit into the fruit. A droplet of its juice ran down the side of his mouth. 

“I didn’t kick you at all last night, did I?” you asked, hoping the answer would be no. 

“You didn’t, but you know,” he paused and swallowed, “I heard you talking in your sleep.”

“_WHAT?!_” you exclaimed. 

He snickered and almost spit out the food in his mouth. “_No_,” he shook his head. “I’m kidding, kidding.”

You clicked your tongue and shoved him. “You scared me.”

“Why?” he cocked his head with amusement. “Have something to hide?”

You glared at him. “_No_. It just might have been embarrassing to hear me talk nonsense.”

“Right,” he smiled and took more bites. Because you had started eating before he came outside, you were already finished with your apple.

You got up and stretched your legs. “I’m gonna start putting my things away so we can leave.”

“Okay,” Link responded, and he heard the door shut behind him. He desperately hoped that you would spend a little time doing that so his _little_ _man _could calm down before it was time to depart. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. _Just relax. _

When he opened his eyes again, he caught a glimpse of something shiny. Squinting to get a better view, he spotted something metallic hidden within the snow. Curiously, he got up to approach whatever it was. 

Inside the cabin, you set your bag onto the bed and started to fold everything neatly so it could all fit. You glanced outside of the small, foggy window and noticed Link crouched down beside a tree. You continued to stare. _ What is he doing? _ He was digging through the snow as if he were trying to find something. 

He pulled out a small dagger and wiped out the excess snow. Your eyes widened with surprise. Someone must have dropped that!

Once he was finished cleaning it up, he turned around and made his way back to the porch, but something _ else _ caught your attention this time. 

You were barely able to see much, but you _ did _ see him tug at his crotch area. Something wasn’t right with the way his pants looked. Wait…

You paused and pondered for a moment. “No,” you whispered and covered your mouth, trying to get rid of an amused smile. _ I have to see. _

Sealing your bag, you put it on the ground and went back outside. Link was sitting down again, but you weren’t exactly able to stare at his crotch area without being obvious. Besides, his legs were positioned in a way that concealed his lap. 

“Found something,” Link said casually, as if nothing were out of the ordinary. 

“Really? What’s that?” You took a seat beside him—not too close, and not too far either. You stole a swift glance down but his arm was lazily draped over his lap. _ Damnit._

“A dagger.” He held it before you with one hand. “It was in the snow.”

“Oh, wow!” you took it carefully and examined it. “Nice catch.”

“You can keep it,” he turned his head. “It might be sharper than the one you already have.”

“Thanks,” you flashed a small grin and put it away in your utility belt. “Are you ready to go yet, or…?”

“Actually, I’m still a bit hungry, so… I want to quickly find something around here.”

You wondered if that was an excuse or not. “Sure,” you nodded but bit your lip to hold back a smile.

Link got his weapons rather carefully—his back was facing you most of the time. However, once he had left the cabin, you didn’t fully close the door, so you peeked and saw the evident tent in his trousers. He once again tugged, and you swallowed hard, not knowing how to feel.

You shut the door and sat on the bed, thinking. You’ve had some _ adult _ conversations with Impa, so this wasn’t a surprise. _ But_, you didn’t know if it was caused naturally or by his dreams and thoughts. Both possibilities were very solid.

You didn’t know, but what you _ did _ know was that you silently hoped you were the cause...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ll be mostly summarizing the Goron City portion because I don’t think it’s very interesting, but I’m too excited to write everything after that. I’m getting close to my favorite part~


	21. Lost Woods, Lost Will

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter makes a small allusion to the events of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, when young Link leaves the Kokiri Forest. The girl mentioned is Saria. Follow this link for the exact clip -> https://youtu.be/V-poU2a9AGc

If it weren’t for the heat-resistant elixirs that you had made, you would have been burnt to a crisp. Link had told you so himself. 

The second you had stepped onto the hot and rocky ground of the Eldin Canyon, you felt the heat of the air engulf you entirely. Thankfully, you and Link didn’t use his paraglider because it would have easily been consumed.

After acquiring the proper equipment in Goron City, you introduced yourselves to those in authority. You met many people and had to travel to Death Mountain _ itself _ to approach Divine Beast Vah Rudania. Your thighs were sore and trembling by the time you had spotted the large lizard-like beast. The heat certainly wasn’t helping, either.

Vah Rudania was rather difficult to conquer and restore. Because it was constantly crawling all over the volcano, you were often faced with the view of bright orange lava beneath you. One slip-up would have meant your instant doom. Also, at times, you felt nauseated by all of the wild movements.

You were never hurt, though. Link, refusing to split up, had his eye on you the entire time. You were both able to override the beast and give the Gorons the good news.

Due to the fact that all four beasts were finally on your side, you were on your way to the Great Hyrule Forest, where Link’s Master Sword was said to be placed by Princess Zelda one hundred years ago. You hoped that Impa was right about the location. 

Now, standing before a _ very _ misty, dim, and creepy woodland, you suddenly got the feeling that this wasn’t the right place. The grass was tall, the trees were twisted and leafless, and the clouds were condensed—making the scene appear much darker. 

Because this forest was quite hidden and independent, you had never really heard about what lies inside. The Great Deku Tree was simply a legend to you, and you had never seen a Korok with your own eyes. Only now would you be able to see if they were really real.

At the entrance, there was already a fork in the road. You frowned and thought for a moment. “Split up?” you suggested to Link. “Then we can just whistle or call for each other when we find a good lead.”

Link never liked the idea of splitting up, so he politely disagreed with you. “Actually, why don’t we take one way together?”

You decided not to argue because you trusted Link’s flawless intuition. “Okay,” you shrug. “If that’s what you want.”

You both started off by taking the left route. Truthfully, it didn’t look much different from the right side, so you doubted that it would make a difference.

Small and casual talk was made along the way, and surprisingly, no monsters showed up. However, the walk was taking a bit long because the trail faded into nothing. So, you two were walking in whatever direction _ seemed _ to be correct. 

A hazy and small light caught your attention, so you began walking towards it. “This way, Link! It could be a fire or something.” You kept trudging, but when you were met with silence, you turned around and Link was… gone. 

But how? He was behind you just a second ago, so where did he go off to? “Link?” you questioned softly, then a little bit louder. “Link?” There was no response. “Link!” you exclaimed, and still nothing. 

_ What the hell happened? _ Your heart sunk in an uncomfortable and anxious manner. _ Did he get taken? No, calm down. _

You paused and thought of every possible factor that could have caused Link’s disappearance. The fog was indeed thick, but that doesn’t mean he can’t respond back to you. 

For a moment, you pondered retracing your steps to find him, but where was _ that _ location? Every area in the forest looked the same, so you would just get lost.

_ I’ll just keep moving forward. Maybe he’ll find me. _

Something was _ definitely _ off in these woods.

Link experienced something very similar to what you had. You were right beside him, but the second he took his eyes off of you, you were gone like you were never there. 

Personally, this was one of his worst fears—losing you... However, he didn’t give into panic or any of his feelings just yet. Instead, he figured that the Lost Woods were testing him somehow. It was the only possible explanation. A test of strength, perhaps?

He kept his eyes forward, and the palm of his hand rested on the hilt of his sword, eager to be drawn instantly. 

Then, he hears a voice. It was faint, but it was there. A girl, sighing. He closes his eyes and listens closely, trying to pinpoint the exact location of origin.

_ There_, he thinks, and moves towards the sound. It’s getting louder, but even then, there’s a strange echo to it, like it’s inside of him. At first, he thought it was your voice, but the louder it became, the more he realized that he doesn’t even recognize it. 

He spots a very young girl. Her hand is resting against a tree, and she’s staring directly at him. She has round blue eyes and a greenish hue to her hair. The look on her face is rather somber. 

_ “Oh, you’re leaving...” _she says in a quiet, somber way. 

Link blinks, processing that she’s speaking to him. “What?”

_ “I knew that someday you would leave the forest, Link.”_

He has no idea what she’s talking about, but he doesn’t respond. As he stares at her intently, it feels as though she’s looking right _ through _ him, not at him. 

Link turns around and sees another figure, just as small, but it’s a boy. He can’t see his face, but he sees golden hair and green clothing. He reaches out to tap the boy, but he fades away. The girl was gone too. 

_ What… was that? _

Link couldn’t form logical thoughts, so he kept moving forward and decided to ask the Deku Tree about it when he found him.

Was that little boy him as a child? Another lost memory? Who _ else _ was named Link? Still, he didn’t know who that girl was. Maybe an old friend.

There was _ so _ much he couldn’t remember, and it frustrated him. 

Suddenly, another voice became present. It was a man’s voice, and he heard the heavy sound of armor clinking behind him. 

Link spun around and was almost trampled by two heavily-armored men, but they never came into physical contact with him. Instead, they walked right through him in a hurry. 

Another vision.

The two were carrying a body, and now that he got a closer look at it, it was _ his _ body—lifeless and bloody. He quickly followed behind to see where they were going. 

_ “Hurry, but be careful. The Princess is depending on us,” _one of the soldiers said.

The men arrived at a familiar location: the Shrine of Resurrection. They took Link’s body inside and placed it on a strange-looking surface. Fluids coated his half-naked body until he was almost completely submerged in it. 

“_Link_,” a desperate voice called. Princess Zelda entered the shrine from behind and quickly walked over to take a look at the ‘him’ in the vision. Her clothes were tattered and she was full of cuts and bruises, but her eyes were glued onto him. _ “I’m… sorry…” _Tears brimmed inside of her eyes.

“Link!” your hand met his shoulder. “Hey!” you shook him gently.

“Y-y/n?” he stuttered, rubbing his eyes. Princess Zelda and the soldiers were suddenly gone, but you were right in front of him, and _ real_. 

“I didn’t think I’d find you,” you panted softly. “Are you okay?” Your eyebrows were furrowed with concern. 

He nodded slowly, still trying to process what had just happened.

“There’s something _ weird _ about this place… I kept seeing these… visions? I don’t know, but, it was _ me _ but not really _ me _ and—I don’t understand.”

“You too?” Link asked.

“Wait, you saw the same thing?”

He nodded again. “Myself, I think…”

“Memories, I’d say. I saw my family and some other images. What did you see?”

“I’m not sure,” he confesses, and again, you know that it’s because of his amnesia. 

“Oh… Well, let’s keep moving alright? I think I found a good lead.”

The fog seemed to clear up after you and Link saw yourselves as children. The wind had gotten strong, so you decided to follow its direction, and ultimately, you reached the center of the woods.

The trees were alive, the grass was greener, and the sky was bright blue. _ This _ must be the Korok Forest. 

Then, you noticed it. In the center, there was a stone platform, and wedged into the ground was the Master Sword. It was a brilliant light blue—almost the same color as Link’s eyes—and its hilt was a violet color. A triforce pattern was forged into the center of the blade.

Although half of it seemed to be hidden inside of the ground, it looked large and heavy. Still, it was absolutely beautiful and you wanted to take a photo of it. As soon as you captured the moment, a deep voice suddenly sounded.

“Who… is that…?”

You almost dropped the Sheikah Slate, but there was nobody around. Link tapped your shoulder lightly and showed you where the sound had come from.

It was difficult to notice at first, but the more you stared, the more you were able to identify the face carved into the edges of the large tree standing tall before you, just behind the Master Sword. Eyebrows, closed eyes, and a mouth were soon evident to both you and Link. Is this… the Deku Tree? You found it incredible and almost wanted to take a photo, but you knew that would be disrespectful and awkward…

_ Maybe I can try to draw this in my journal later_, you thought.

“I must have dozed off again,” the voice continued in a slow and lazy manner.

You didn’t say a word, for you didn’t know _ what _ to say. A tree was _ speaking._

“Well… it’s you,” the voice said. You turned to Link, knowing that he was the one being spoken to. Surely the Deku Tree must know of Link. “And… I don’t know _ you_.”

Now, you knew the Deku Tree was speaking to you. “Oh, I’m… Y/n. A friend.” 

“Mmm…” the Deku Tree hummed deeply. “I am the Deku Tree.” You nodded but didn’t understand how a tree could have such a deep voice. Then again, all sorts of bizarre things existed in Hyrule. “Link, you’re quite silent.”

Link blinked twice. “Sorry,” he mumbled. 

You knew why he was being so quiet. “Ah- he has amnesia…,” you explained. “His memories are slowly coming back but… yeah.”

“You do not remember me. I see… But you _ are _ here for the Master Sword, yes?” The Tree questioned. 

Link nodded, eyeing the beautiful blue sword that would soon be his.

“Princess Zelda brought it here after the… _ incident_. Why not give it a pull?”

“Can I take a photo of you while you’re doing it?” you teased Link, and he smiled softly. 

“Hmph, _ no_,” he rolled his eyes playfully. You giggled and moved towards the front of the sword so you could get a better view. 

Link approached the Master Sword and wrapped his hands around the hilt of it. 

“I must warn you,” the Deku Tree interrupted, “that if you are not fully ready to take out the Master Sword, then you will surely lose your life.”

Your eyes widened slightly. You didn’t know _ that _ important detail. “Link?” you asked softly. “You feel okay…?”

Link paused for a moment and then nodded his head. A determined look was evident on his delicate face. “Yes.”

“Proceed, then,” the Deku Tree said. 

Link once again returned his grip onto the hilt, and he widened his stance a bit more. As he began to pull upwards, you noticed that there was a struggle. The sword must hold a lot of power… 

His hands were becoming white from the intense pressure, and his face began to redden slightly. The sword slipped… and slipped again…. very slowly, but it was indeed coming out of the rock underneath it. 

Link grit his teeth and continued to try pulling the entire thing out.

“_Enough_,” the Deku Tree commanded, and Link immediately let go of the sword and a sharp exhale came out of him. He started to catch his breath. 

“What happened?” you questioned, turning to look at the Deku Tree.

“If you had not released your grip from the sword just then, you would have lost your life,” he responded.

_ What…? _you thought, your heart dropping within you dramatically. 

You asked, “Why…?” 

“It seems Link still needs more preparation. He’ll have to try again once he’s completely ready.”

_ But I thought he was ready… Why wouldn’t he be? This is Link. He’s so strong, courageous, and he always helps others. _

You turned back around to take a glance at Link. He was still silent and looking up at the Deku Tree with an unreadable expression. His eyes then fell unto the Master Sword that was still in the ground. 

Finally, Link nods. “Right,” is all he says, before rotating completely as if to leave the forest. 

“Where are you going…?” you asked hesitantly, not liking the feeling that was spreading inside of you. Something was off…

“To train,” Link said normally. “I… have to be alone for a while.”

_ How long is ‘a while’? _You didn’t dare voice your thoughts out loud because there were too many all at once. 

Once he was completely out of sight, you stood there, feeling defeated, and turned back to the Deku Tree. “I’m sorry, can I just ask… do you know why he’s not ready?”

“Link’s body is in excellent shape,” he commented. “He is very strong and skilled with weapons, but it seems his mind is not yet ready for the Sword.”

“His… mind?”

“Mmm.”

“Was that like Princess Zelda’s situation? I heard that she couldn’t draw out her power because something must have been holding her back…”

“Precisely. Stress. Insecurity. Fear. Any mental hindrance can prevent the power of the Triforce from being received, for it is a great responsibility.”

You nod slowly and rub a finger across your bottom lip pensively. “That makes sense…”

“You worry?” The Deku Tree observed.

“Yeah, a bit…” Letting out a nervous chuckle, you take your finger away from your mouth to not draw too much attention. “Not for Hyrule just yet… but for Link.”

“Are you a friend of his?”

“I am. Well, I like to think that we’re close friends. Maybe best friends even,” you smile to yourself. “I know he’ll be able to pull out the sword, though. Even if it takes a while, he’ll do it.” You had unwavering faith in Link, but you were still worried about his well-being. What was happening in his mind? Just _what_ was he thinking? “Anyway… I guess it’s time for me to go.”

“Why not rest here in the meantime? He may be seeking independent training.”

The Deku Tree is right. Link probably wants to be alone. “Oh, is that okay?”

“Mmm. Food and shelter will be provided for you. Although you cannot see them, the Koroks have been preparing for the return of Link for years.”

“Koroks, that’s right... But why can’t I see them?”

“You are not a child of the forest. Link would be able to see them, but not you,” he explained.

Your eyebrows furrowed in utter confusion. “Link was… _ born _ here?” 

“It is a long story, but yes. This was his home for a few of his younger years. Unfortunately, there was a great catastrophe, and the children were lost, but by then, Link had already left the forest.”

It all made sense in a strange way. Link was really connected to nature; he was a natural when it came to survival in the outdoors. 

“I see…”

“But enough of that. You must be weary from your long trip. The shelter is just straight ahead.”

“Yeah,” you breathed. “Thank you for letting me stay. I know I’m a bit... out of place here.” 

And with that, you followed a short stone trail to a small shelter made of bark and trunks. The branches from the trees above created a tunnel-like ceiling, so it felt cozy and protected. Outside, there was a lit campfire outside with a pot over it. Inside, there were beautifully-made leafy beds, dim lamps, and piles of fruits and raw mushrooms in woven baskets. The food was fresh, as if it had recently picked from the forest. 

Everything was gorgeous.

You looked around, but as expected, there were no Koroks in sight. “Thank you…” you murmured softly, hoping that they would hear you, and then crawled into the surprisingly-comfortable bed. Closing your eyes, you decided to try and take a nap.

Before you were able to completely drift off, Link crept back into your mind. Truthfully, you wanted nothing more than to pursue him and help him do whatever it took to get the Master Sword out of the ground, but maybe he _ did _ want to be alone… He didn’t ask you to come with him for a reason.

For the first time ever, the thought of him sleeping alone made your heart race with an unfamiliar sadness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow I am s o sorry that I haven’t updated in so long! College has been insane but my classes are ending soon! The next chapter is going to be so exciting :) Stay safe and once again, thank you for reading and commenting <3


	22. The Storm and The Sacrifice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s a long chapter. Enjoy <3

**Trigger Warning: Blood**

Link was gone for weeks. After spending the first night in the Korok Forest’s shelter, you realized that he would not be coming back for ‘a while’, just as he had said.

He really _ did _want to be alone, huh? But you didn’t know why. You could be helping him. 

In the meantime, you trained by yourself inside of the forest. You placed apples atop of many different trees and practiced your archery with them as targets. Additionally, you’d run around and try to catch them while in motion. Although your skills improved, training alone still wasn’t the same…

Once a little over two weeks had passed, you decided to go after him. Even if he encountered monsters, you knew he’d be okay. Still, something wasn’t right within him, and you refused to stand by. Without saying anything to the Deku Tree, you slipped out of the forest just before dawn was able to break.

You took all of your preferred weapons with you as well as food and supplies. Link might have been far.

It was a good thing that you prepared a bag, because Link was absolutely nowhere to be found.

First, you looked around the outskirts of the forest—scanning its circumference entirely. 

Nothing. 

Then, you climbed the nearest tower, which was Woodland Tower, to get an expansive view of the area and hopefully spot him. 

Nothing. 

He couldn’t have gone _ too _ far, and he couldn’t have gone to a place with a harsh climate either. That eliminated the Eldin mountains and anywhere past Laynaru. 

You climbed back down from the tower and randomly decided to start walking on a trail that would ultimately lead to the Akkala Highlands. You were pretty sure Link wasn’t there, but maybe somewhere halfway instead. He _ had _ to be…

By the late afternoon, you thankfully came across a fellow traveler and asked if she had seen Link pass by. You described his appearance and clothing to her. When you saw her face light up as if she remembered something, you felt an immense amount of relief.

“A blond, huh? You know, I _ did _ see a guy like that…” the traveler pondered. “Is he handsome?”

Her question took you by surprise. “Uh, well, yeah.” _ Duh_. _ Anybody _ would find Link handsome.

“Then yes, we’re talking about the same person! He went _ that _ way if I’m not mistaken.” She pointed in the direction Link had supposedly gone to.

“Thank you so much,” you breathed and continued on. 

Link was too important for you to lose. When you had first met him, his looks immediately caught your attention, and you felt giddy from being around such a cute boy. As soon as you found out he was the Hero, you admired him and thought he was cool. And once you actually got to _ know _ him better through your long trips, you couldn’t ignore the racing of your heart. 

You _ just _ liked him… right?

_ “But you’re bound to fall for him, aren’t you?” _

Why were you suddenly remembering Ashai’s words at this very moment? You picked up your walking speed as if to escape her voice in your head. Whatever. You noticed the sun in the distance was slowly starting to fall. Sunset would be approaching soon.

You picked up the pace.

As the hues and light gradually drained out of the sky, you lit a torch to help see what was in front of you.

Then, you spotted a small illumination in the distance. You didn’t even know if you were imagining it or not, but the advantage of nighttime is that it makes any light easily known.

_ Only one way to find out. _

You carefully drew your bow with one hand and approached the light source. A campfire maybe? It was coming from behind a large stone hill, so you couldn’t see anything.

Taking the chance, you followed the road’s trail and turned to confront whoever was there.

Link.

Your heart _ pounded, _making your arms go slightly numb. The heavy and invisible weight that was holding your shoulders down instantly vanished, and you almost wanted to drop all of your things and run to him. 

“You’re okay?” was all you were able to muster out. He was sitting on the floor with his back against the cold, stone wall with his legs crossed, snacking on a meat kabob. 

His eyes were a bit wide with surprise. After all, he wasn’t expecting you at all.

Swallowing his food, he licked his lips. “Y/n?”

His voice uttering your name was such a _ relieving _ sound. You were so worried and you hadn’t even realized it until he was actually gone and hadn’t returned.

Tossing your bag, bow, and torch aside, you approached him as slowly as you could, crouched down, and wrapped your arms around his body. He sat there blinking, but eventually returned the hug. It was so good to feel his real and _ living _ body against yours. His golden hair sweetly smelled of flowers and cedar from being outdoors for so long. 

As you reluctantly pulled away, you quickly gazed into eyes before you scanned him entirely. His clothes were slightly tattered, but nothing too crazy. There was no blood, so that was all that mattered. 

However, he _ did _ have a bit of meat residue on the corner of his lips, and you easily wiped it off for him with your index finger. 

“Pack some rags next time,” you said, backing away now, and it earned a small smile from him. 

“Hmm, maybe I will.”

“I was just kidding. There won’t _ be _ a next time. I don’t want you taking off like that again, dummy.”

Link was stunned. Instead of directly asking ‘What?’, he stayed silent and threw up his eyebrows. 

You sighed with exasperation. “Why do you look so lost?”

His head cocked. “...because I am?”

You paused, staring at him blankly. “You don’t get it, do you?”

“Get what?”

“You can’t just… leave so suddenly like that and then not come back for weeks…”

He pushed you further. Although you seemed to be mostly calm and composed, there was still something upset about your tone. “Why?”

“Because it’s dangerous, Link.”

_ That doesn’t make sense _, he thought to himself. He was aware of his strength and ability against monsters, and so were you, so why were you so worried about him being absent for two weeks?

Link pursed his lips and remained silent. He didn’t mean to upset you. 

“I would have gone with you, but the Deku Tree told me to leave you alone… Is that what you wanted?”

He paused before nodding slowly. “Yeah, I did.”

“How come?” you asked curiously. The look on your face showed a bit of fear to him. 

It was difficult to stare at, so he turned his attention to the campfire in front of him. “It’s not about you, Y/n, really. You don’t have to think that.”

“Then… what is it?” you sat with your feet flat on the ground and knees up. “If- that’s okay to ask.”

He seemed to be struggling for words, so you decided to make it easier for him.

“Let me ask this instead: why are you so quiet all of the time? I never really know what you’re thinking,” you calmly say, hoping not to offend him.

After a brief pause with only the sound of fire crackling, Link confesses softly, “There’s… a lot at stake.” Surprisingly, his tone is still unwavering. You scoot a little closer to show that he has your full attention. “Everyone’s eyes are on me. I shouldn’t be complaining about something that I have to do.” He grabs a stick and gently pokes the fire with it to distract himself. “If I’m this… ‘hero’ or ‘knight’, then naturally, I have to stay strong and kill Ganon like I’m supposed to.”

He’s right, but he’s also wrong. “You _ are _ a hero, and you _ are _ a knight, that’s true.” He turns his head to you. “But that doesn’t mean you’re not a person.”

His blue eyes are quite difficult to stare into. They’re strong and full of wonder and life, but at the same time, you feel that they can see the feelings within you. Still, you continue to hold your gaze for his sake. You want him to know that you’re being honest.

“I can’t say that I understand how you feel because I don’t.” _ I wish I could. _ “I know this responsibility you’re bearing isn’t fair, but you don’t have to face it alone.” _ If I can help with the world weighing on your shoulders, then that’s fine by me. Don’t suffer in silence. _

“Why?” he murmurs, unable to understand you at all. 

_ Where was I going with this…? _ “Wh-“ you blink. “What do you mean ‘why’...? Because we’re…” you gesture at both him and yourself. “You know…” 

“What?” he grins gently.

“Friends…? Best friends…?” _ Ouch. That hurt to say. _“I don’t know, whatever. The point is—!”

A giggle from Link interrupts you mid-sentence. You couldn’t help giggling yourself. “Stop laughing! Okay, the _ point _ is, _ I’m _ here. _ Me_, hello, alright? I don’t want you to handle things alone. You can depend on me for anything.”

“Okay,” he mumbles, his eyes jumping back to the fire. He hopes you don’t see him as _ just _ a friend. Maybe that hesitation from you meant something...

“Is that all you’d like to say?”

He inhales softly. “For _ now,_ yeah. I’ll tell you the rest some other time.”

“That’s totally fine,” you give him a friendly smile with your lips. “Thank you for opening up to me.”

_ Does it really mean that much to you? _ he thinks to himself. “Did you come all the way here just to check up on me?” he suddenly asks.

“Hmph, I _ did. _Wanted to make sure you were _ alive.”_

His heart races. “My bad.”

“I know, I know… Don’t worry about it.” Your eyes subtly settled upon him again, and you noticed a cut sliced across the palm of his left hand. Because of its reddish hue and unclean appearance, it seemed to be fresh from today. He must have encountered an enemy. 

“Tsk,” you clicked your tongue and reached for his hand. “Why haven’t you treated this yet?” 

Link was caught by surprise when you randomly but gently grabbed his hand and flipped it over, palm side up. He took a glance at your expression and then back at his own hand. “Didn’t- notice,” he mumbled, trying to ignore the stupid butterflies in his stomach. It was such a _ simple _ touch, but it managed to make him long for more every time. The hug you gave him earlier didn’t exactly help, either… He wanted to hold you longer. 

Holding his hand lightly, you went through your bag and pulled out some rags, water, and bandage wraps. “If you leave it like this, it’ll get dirty and deeper.” You poured some water onto his palm and delicately rubbed a clean rag across it, staining it slightly. 

He couldn’t keep his gaze fully focused on what you were doing. Often, his eyes lingered back to you, and thankfully, you didn’t notice. He felt a familiar heat in his ears with your every action.

Once you had finished with the cleaning, you wrapped a bandage around the cut and tied it securely. “There. Try not to ruin it,” you teased and he smiled bashfully. 

As you began to put your materials away, Link unexpectedly felt a droplet of water against his cheek. He wiped it away and looked at the sky. Although the sky was dark, he was able to make out thick clouds coming in contact with one another, resulting in the formation of even larger ones. 

You noticed him gazing upon the sky, so you took a look too. “A storm… We need to find a shelter or cave.”

“Yeah,” Link agrees and begins to put out the campfire. You both grabbed all of your things and headed in the direction that would ultimately take you back to the Korok Forest. 

Hopefully, there will be a cave along the way… You were so focused on finding Link earlier that you failed to notice any caves.

As the minutes were passing by, you could feel the rain gradually picking up speed. Your clothes were pretty damp, and the torch you had been holding was already extinguished by the water. Thankfully, you still had your map in your bag to refer to later. 

Soon enough, the rain became relentless. You and Link were both soaked, and lightning began to flash in the distant sky with the sounds of thunder lazily following after.

Then, you heard a sound that you thought you’d never hear again. It sounded familiar yet distant, so it was difficult to fully recognize it.

“You hear that?” you told Link beside you in a louder-than-usual tone. The heavy rain was masking your voice. 

Although it was a bit difficult to tell in the darkness, he gave you a puzzled look. 

Immediately after, his eyes fell upon your chest, which was glowing red. There was a target-like dot flickering upon it. 

Eyes widening, he swiftly pushed you back as hard as he could, causing you to roughly fall onto your bottom with a grunt. “_Agh! _What—“

As he anticipated, a flash of light suddenly crossed between the two of you, blasting a nearby tree and setting it on fire. You let out a quick breath of panic and scrambled out of the way and back onto your feet. “Thanks,” you breathed. He had saved you. 

Link drew his sword and shield. “There’s an enemy here.”

You drew your bow and faced the direction that the blast had come from. Although your eyes had already grown accustomed to the darkness, the flashes of lightning were helping your vision as well.

Then, you saw it. The Guardian Stalker approaching and easily towering over you and Link. Your heart instantaneously began to pound, and you froze for a brief moment. 

_ Not again. Please. _

“It’s only one!” you said to Link, but your voice was trembling slightly, so it didn’t sound confident at all. He noticed that.

You watched as the Guardian glowed brightly, indicating that it fully spotted the both of you. Aiming for its eye, you fired an arrow and successfully hit it. Link ran towards it and began to slash at its body and legs while you shot more arrows. 

Another light caught the corner of your eye, and you gasped at the sight. There were two more now approaching. You and Link were clearly outnumbered. “Link!” you called through the rain. “There’s more!...” 

Briefly, he turned around and saw the additional guardians noticing your presence. “Let’s run, then!” he circled back to where you were. “We won’t make it if we’re fighting all three at once!” 

You didn’t like the idea of running away with the Guardian Stalkers following behind, but it was currently the best solution. Trusting Link, you gave him the okay and began to run side-by-side, just as you had run that day. You slipped in the wet dirt a couple of times, but you still managed to keep up with him. 

The noise from earlier returned. It was a beeping sound, and it was getting faster. It was frightening, but you couldn’t afford to stop. Turning around, you realized the beeping came from one of the three distant Guardians, and it had been targeting _ you _ just like earlier.

Before it could fire a blast, you felt Link harshly grab your forearm and yank your body behind his. He blocked the blast with his shield and deflected it into a different direction.

He saved you _ again_. 

Taking a glance at his shield, you noticed how easily tattered it had become. The blasts must take a large toll on it, and he only had one additional shield left on his back. 

“Let’s keep moving,” he said hurriedly, without giving you a chance to thank him. You nodded and did as he said. 

Continuing on over a hill, you spotted more Guardian Stalkers in front of you that you were about to collide into. Your feet slid across the soaked grass in an attempt to get away. “What do we do?!”

“We’ll stay and fight. I have an idea,” Link replied and held up his shield. “Stay behind me.”

You listened to his instructions.

He faced the two Guardians. “Keep firing arrows and stay there.”

The beeping returned. This time, their target was Link, but he firmly stood in place and waited for the blast to hit his shield. 

“Link?” you asked nervously, shooting arrows at the other guardian. 

He didn’t respond. When the flash of light arrived, you couldn’t help shutting your eyes, awaiting a harsh impact. Instead, all you felt was Link’s back slightly bump into your body. With his shield, he deflected the blast in an angle that caused the other guardian to get hit—damaging it tremendously. 

“Woah…” you softly said with awe. It gave you a small glimmer of hope. Maybe you _ could _ get out of this alive. 

But as soon as things were beginning to look up, they only worsened again. The Guardian Stalkers were loud and drawing attention, so they soon attracted more. You couldn’t run anymore. If you did, you would easily be shot in the back and it would all be over. 

“What do we do?” you asked with a ball beginning to form within your throat. There didn’t seem to be a single opening or way out. And with your fear skyrocketing, you could barely think straight; nothing was coming to mind. _ Think. Please think. _

Link gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, but it wasn’t able to shake the bad taste in his mouth. “Fight.”

Your head whipped. “_Fight? _”

He nods, unphased. “It’s the only thing we can do.”

“Okay,” you breathed. “...but don’t help me.”

“Huh?”

“Just focus on surviving. Don’t help me,” you asserted. “_You’re _ the one who needs to get out of here alive… please…” you murmured your last word before drawing your large and sharpest dagger.

Link didn’t agree nor disagree to your conditions. He charged forward and scrambled around the entire field, avoiding attacks from all directions. He sliced the legs of multiple Guardians—the cuts getting deeper every time—and used their bodies to shield himself from others. 

You couldn’t help glancing at him from time to time as you attacked, but those quick seconds of looking away were deadly. You got minor cuts as a result, but the pain seemed to quickly wash away with the pouring rain and adrenaline flooding within you. 

You would often switch back and forth from bow to dagger depending on the proximity of the enemies. Eventually, after managing to take out your _ first _ Stalker, your legs and arms already began to ache and burn. Your lips parted as you panted heavily, but you couldn’t stop for even a second. 

Then, you heard a loud snapping sound, and you spotted Link drop one of his shields. It had completely broken into metal fragments. He tossed it aside and pulled out what seemed to be his last one. The sight caused your heart to drop. He could only block a few more blasts before having absolutely no defense left…

“Link! We need to do something!” you called out to him and continued to shoot arrows. “This won’t work!”

Link didn’t respond; he kept on fighting. 

“Let’s just run!” you insisted desperately. Soon, you would run out of arrows. 

A few more flashes of light illuminated your peripheral vision, and you heard another snap. 

His last shield had been destroyed. 

You let out a sharp gasp and ran towards him. You grabbed his hand and harshly dragged him away. “Let’s _ go_,” you commanded and started to sprint away from the crowd of Stalkers. Link almost resisted at first, but he eventually gave in and followed closely behind. 

A small forest came into sight. It was off-route, but you thought you could possibly lose the Guardians that way. “There!” you yelled and kept moving. 

Before reaching any trees, you heard the familiar beeping sound, but you ignored it. _ If I could just get to the forest— _

“Watch out!” Link called, but before you were able to direct your full attention to him, all you could see amongst the sudden, blinding lights were golden locks of hair. 

You roughly collided with the wet ground and surely bruised the side of your face. He had knocked you over. Quickly, you looked back up at Link, wondering what had happened. 

He suddenly collapsed in front of you. Eyes widening, you let out a sharp breath of panic and violently shook his body. “Link? LINK!” you shrieked, but he gave no response. His eyelids were shut, and his face looked completely lifeless as the rain fell upon it. Your eyes ran down his body and soon found a large patch of dark red that was spreading and consuming the whites of his clothes. 

Blood. _ So _ much blood. 

You didn’t know what to do. You almost grabbed your bag for a cloth, but what good would that do? He was bleeding out too fast. 

Nothing was coming to mind, except for the need to escape. You had no other option.

You fired an arrow into the eye of the Guardian that had shot Link from your blindspot to temporarily keep it stunned. Then, you slipped your hands underneath his arms and dragged his body away as quickly as you could. You groaned and panted with exhaustion and sore legs as you ran backwards. 

Looking down at his bloody and filthy body, hot tears brimmed in your eyes and they fell with the rain. The guardians that had been on your tail earlier were beginning to catch up again.

_ I don’t know what to do. Please. What do I do. _

As the lights emitting from them started to get brighter, you felt your foot miss a step behind you. Losing your balance, you fell back with Link’s body still in your arms. You gasped with terror as you realized it was a steep hill. 

Afraid that Link would get hurt even more, you gripped his body tightly as you briskly plunged down the hill—_ desperately _ hoping that it would end already. 

After those painful and long seconds, you tried to look up at the edge that you had fallen from. The Guardian Stalkers seemed to be confused, and soon enough, they went away. 

The hill was so large that it was a miracle you weren’t dead. But as you stood up to fully check on Link, you felt an intense pain in your left ankle. Easily broken by the fall. 

You stifled your whimpers and laid your head on Link’s chest. You almost wanted to cry at the sound of his slow heartbeat. Still, it wasn’t very strong, so you continued to drag him somewhere, _ anywhere._

Thank Hylia, you found a cave. You weakly limped your way there and immediately lit a fire to warm yourself from the storm. You put Link’s body down on a folded arrangement of blankets and brought him closer to the fire. 

Quickly, you sliced his shirt open with your knife and slightly trembled at the sight of the deep red all over his abdomen. You hesitantly wiped all of the blood away and applied pressure to his wound with a clean cloth. Once he had _ thankfully _ stopped bleeding, you wrapped his entire waist area with bandages. 

After making a splint for your foot, you hugged your knees by the campfire and continued to stare at him. He was all cleaned up now because of you, but he was still unconscious. You don’t know for how long. You don’t know if he’ll be dead by morning.

Because of that thought, you didn’t want to go to sleep.

“I told you not to help me,” you murmur, even though he can’t hear you. More tears came to your eyes. “I _ told _ you…”

_ It should have been me. If you... die… what then? _

You stole another glance. _ I can’t lose you. Not you. _

You had never thought of losing Link before, and this was exactly why. _ This _ is exactly what you never wanted to see or experience. 

You feel something deep and profound for him; it’s evident now. 

The person you love is slipping away, and there’s nothing that you can do. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry again about not updating in so long! I have one more week before my college semester ends though, so I’m fully free soon!
> 
> I really hope this chapter was enjoyed. I’ve been wanting to write it for so long :D


	23. Quiet Care

You didn’t quite know how or when you fell asleep that cursed night.

Having fallen asleep with your arms draped over your knees, your legs felt cramped, and only when you stretched them out did you slightly feel better. Still, your entire body was stiff and stuck from the terrible sleeping position.

You looked over at Link beside you, who still seemed to be unconscious. You chided yourself for slipping away last night. Someone could have possibly come inside the open cave, stolen your things, and even hurt Link. 

_ That accident won’t happen again_, you thought. 

Rubbing the exhaustion from your eyes, you lifted the blanket you had placed onto his body and carefully cut his bandages off. There was only a little bit of dried blood present. A soft smile spread your lips. 

_ Thank Hylia… _

You gently wiped the dried blood off of his smooth body with a wet rag and wrapped him up in fresh bandages. Then, you looked at the entrance of the cave. Moving Link could be dangerous… There was a high possibility of running into monsters. And although Bokoblins were not exactly a large threat, you refused to take the chance of temporarily leaving Link on the ground while you fought them off. That, and moving his body around could be tricky; his bleeding could start up again. What he needs is to stay still and rest.

Thinking that Link could be thirsty, you reached for your flask of water. Before you were going to pour it into his mouth, you suddenly remembered the dangers in doing so. _ Never give an unconscious person anything to eat or drink. _

Because Link doesn’t know he’s being fed, he could easily _ drown_… You sighed, hoping his eyes would open any minute now and you would be met with that gorgeous and soft blue hue. 

That didn’t happen, though.

You took a glance back at the campfire you had set up. The wood continued to burn, but most of it was already ash, so you decided to gather fallen branches from a nearby tree and add some more. It should last for a couple of more hours.

As for food… you searched your bag and found some fruits, but many were missing. You must have dropped some along the way without even noticing.

After finishing a cherry-red apple, you once again took a peek at the cave’s entrance. You couldn’t just _ sit _ here waiting around and doing nothing. You grabbed your weapons and left the cave but dared not to let it leave your sight. You looked around the forest and ground for _ anything _that could possibly help Link. There wasn’t much, but you managed to find and harvest some Lavender plants. With a small smile, you hurried back to the cave and sat down next to Link.

Lavender is said to be good for treating swelling on the skin, so you crushed it against the rocky ground, added some droplets of water, and spread it into a paste-like consistency. You delicately lifted Link’s bandages and rubbed some of the purple paste onto his wound. You hoped to hear him wince, see his eyes flutter open—_any _ sign that he was awake and aware… but nothing. 

With the leftover paste, you even took the liberty of spreading it across your left ankle. Being broken and all, it was quite swollen as well, but it luckily didn’t hurt enough to keep you from walking. 

Once you were done with that, you grabbed a small bowl from your bag and poured some water into it. You next set up a few tree branches in a rectangular arrangement above the fire. You placed the bowl on the setup so that the water would begin to heat up. As soon as it came to a boil, you added the lavender into it and stirred it gently with another stick.

A pleasant and soothing aroma filled the air of the cave. Lavender also made a great tea, but because you couldn’t risk feeding it to Link, you let the smell fill his nose instead. Hopefully it would have _ some _ effect on him.

Your eyes once again made their way towards the cave’s entrance. To tell the truth, you were a bit paranoid about being so exposed. Anyone or anything can come in.

After thinking for a bit, an idea eventually popped into your mind. You got up, borrowed Link’s sword, and exited the cave. You cut down even larger branches—including ones with leaves still on them. You gathered as many as you could.

Thankfully, the cave’s opening wasn’t that large. You began to weave some branches with one another and place them in front. The more you stacked, the more it mimicked a door and hid everything that was inside, including Link himself.

You were able to cover the entire thing. You smiled gently because it felt safer. If anything came across the area, you would surely hear the branches shuffling and leaves crunching. 

Now that Link was hidden, you used the opportunity to slip away quickly and gather more drinking water. Fortunately, the distant sound of running water caught your attention, and you came across a small stream. You filled your bottle to the brim and hurried back to the cave. 

From all the walking and crafting, you truthfully felt a bit exhausted. And although you were hidden, you still felt uneasy with Link unconscious. Maybe a trap could do the trick and calm your nerves?

And so that’s what you did: you created a wooden trap that would _ surely _ be loud enough to wake you up if it were set off by an enemy. Once you had added the finishing touches, the sun was already beginning to set, so you decided to hit the hay. 

Now, feeling a bit more relaxed with a trap outside and a camouflaged entrance, you let your eyelids fall and engulf your vision with darkness. It didn’t take long for you to fall asleep at all.

But, the night wasn’t over as quickly. You were awoken by a distant crunching sound, coming from outside your camp. It jolted you awake, so you quickly grabbed Link’s sword with your heart racing at the same time. You paused in place, waiting for more sounds.

Nothing.

Quietly, you tiptoed to the cave’s covered opening and closed your eyes, concentrating on the noises of the woods. There were crickets chirping and nothing more.

_ No. That had to have been the trap, _your gut told you.

You waited for a few more seconds out of caution and then heard more sounds. Footsteps on the grassy ground. Judging from the messy trudging, it couldn’t possibly belong to the hooves of a Lynel. Also, the steps were quick and not spaced out, so it can’t be something with large legs either. 

Your best bet was assuming it was a Bokoblin. How many? More than one, but you didn’t know the exact number. 

Was it best to take care of them now? It’s possible they can see some firelight peeking through the leaves, so who knows when they’ll burst inside…

And if you make too much noise fighting them, who knows what trouble that will attract? Confrontation seemed too risky, but you couldn’t go back to sleep peacefully either. 

_ Damn it… what do I do? _ you thought, looking at Link. _ What would you do...? _

Knowing him, he would probably confront them quickly and quietly so he could get a good night’s rest. He _ is _ extremely skillful after all. 

So were you, but the thought of Link being defenseless behind you was worrying. You never wanted to let anything take you by surprise ever again. He _ can’t _ get hurt like that again.

One wrong move in your footwork and you’ll probably trip from the ankle pain—causing everything to go wrong. 

_ Okay, enough, _you shutted yourself up. The more you panic, the more you’ll be blinded. 

You made your decision. 

You pushed through the leafy camouflage, eyes swiftly scanning whatever was in front of you. Five bokoblins and one other stuck in the trap you had made. 

You impaled the first one on your right, taking it by surprise and killing it instantly. It fell on its front and turned to dust. As two charged, you sidestepped and crossed swords while eyeing the other two in the back. They were shooting arrows, but their aim was poor in the darkness of the night, so you easily dodged them.

You defeated one, briefly used it as a shield, and then defeated the other. Once they were out of the scene, you blocked the incoming arrows with Link’s sword and charged forward, slashing at them relentlessly. They didn’t even get a chance to reload. 

Then, you took the wooden trap apart and killed the final, encased bokoblin. 

Looking around, you crouched down in case you had drawn attention. There were no lights and no other noises. Sighing with content, you put your camoflauge back together and sat down by the fire, not wanting to go back to sleep just yet. You got closer to Link and stared at his resting face.

“When are you gonna wake up…?” you murmured lazily, voice hoarse from not speaking in a while.

As expected, there was no visual or auditory response from him. Still, he looked rather peaceful with his eyes closed.

“Yeah, you can’t even hear me huh…” you hummed softly and put a hand on his cloaked abdomen. A blanket had been draped over him all this time so he wouldn’t get cold.

“It’s been a full day. Killed a group of bokoblins just now. If not, I would’ve been paranoid all night.” You paused, eyes landing upon his soft and almost delicate facial features. “You have a cute nose.” You smiled gently and let the back of your finger brush against it. “Cute nose,” you repeated with a scoff. “More like cute _everything_.”

You continued to admire him. “Hmm…” your hand trailed away from his face and ended up in the color gold. “Your hair’s gotten longer…” It used to be right at his shoulders, but now, it was a little past that. You didn’t notice when you first ran into him, but it was evident now.

“I can cut it for you when you wake up,” you said. “I know it would be difficult for you to get the backside by yourself.”

You took your hand away and draped your arms over your knees, sighing. “What am I doing…” you whispered to yourself.

After a few minutes of silence, you spoke up again to ‘him’. “You should take better care of yourself… _ I _ should be where you are right now.” You scoffed lightly. “But, I’m _ not. _Still, you… well, you know…”

It was difficult for you to say it without feeling guilty.

“Thank you for saving me…” you felt tears gradually brim in your eyes. “I just hope I saved _ you _ in time…” 

You pulled down his blanket and briefly eyed his wound before covering him up again. “I need you here… I need you alive,” you swallowed hard. “I know Hyrule needs you too, but I think I need you just a _ bit _ more…”

Your hand once again curiously lingered on his body. It landed on his chest, and you pressed down gently to feel a heartbeat. It was a little bit quick, but nothing too concerning.

Still, to calm him down a bit, you boiled some more water and added lavender once again. 

The smell was so relaxing that it made you sleepy. You organized your messy blankets again and prepared yourself for bed. 

Before you tucked yourself in, you heard a _ very _ quiet noise, and it wasn’t coming from the fire. 

You sat upright, eyebrows furrowing in confusion. _ What is that…? _It sounded very close-by, so it can’t be outside.

You turned to look at Link, and you were met with something rather shocking. 

Gasping softly, you ripped your blankets off hurriedly and rushed over to him. There was a small puddle forming below him, staining the stone below. It was the cause of the noise. 

Blood? _ No, _that doesn’t make sense. He was only injured on his abdomen.

You lifted his blanket entirely and set it aside. Your eyes scanned his body from top to bottom, landing on his legs. Your eyes widened at the sight of the patch of wetness surrounding his crotch and inner thighs. 

_ He’s not… wetting himself, is he?_

“No, no, no… Link–“ you whispered hastily but he obviously couldn’t hear you. And he _ obviously _ couldn’t control his own bladder, either. You had _ completely _ forgotten about urination...

He finished, but you sat there with your hands slightly lifted, not even _ knowing _ what to do.

_ I should clean him up… right? It’s dirty for him to have to lie here in his own mess. _

Still, that didn’t mean you didn’t hesitate once your hands met his belt. _ I won’t take off his underwear, of course… that would definitely be weird. _

You sighed at your own immaturity. _ It’s the right thing to do, idiot. Just go already. _

Before doing anything, however, you called his name and gave his shoulders another few light shakes just in case he would wake up, but he didn’t. _ Okay..._

Slowly, and trying to ignore your irritatingly-loud heartbeat, you undid his belt and placed it next to you. You scooted a bit closer and dipped your fingers inside the waistband of his trousers. Sighing, you pulled them down to his ankles and then slid them off completely. 

Careful not to touch the wet part, you tossed them somewhere across the cave to wash at the stream tomorrow. Then, you redirected your attention back to Link. You couldn’t get yourself to look away from his bare legs. Although they were moist, they were still… smooth, pretty, and golden.

You swallowed hard and eyed his wet boxers. Out of curiosity, you inched a tiny bit closer to him and sniffed. The odor wasn’t strong, but you knew it would worsen in the morning. Still, it sucks that he’ll have to have his undergarments on until he wakes up...

“Hah, _ crap,_ why me…” you murmured to yourself with a shaky sigh and got up from the ground. You slipped your arms underneath his his and pulled him to a different part of the cave since the stone floor he was resting upon was now a bit dirty. 

You set him down and got back on your knees. Reaching inside of your bag, you pulled out a fresh rag and other cleaning supplies. You wet it with some water and squeezed it lightly, letting it drip over his thighs. Then, you pushed his legs a little bit apart—which felt _ extremely _ wrong to do—and rubbed the rag against as much skin as you could without reaching the _ intimate _ parts. As soon as it was all wet with fresh water, you rubbed a bar of soap in small circles all throughout the dirty parts. Soon, his golden skin became bubbly.

_They’re so smooth. __It feels kind of nice. _You paused. _Okay, don’t be weird about it. _

You washed his legs a couple of times, including the underside, but there was nothing you could do about his boxers… Your only option was to let them dry on him, wash his pants tomorrow at the stream, and put them back on him again. The blankets he was lying on also had to be washed as well...

For now, though, your job was done, and you were totally beat. Your hot cheeks made you feel even more exhausted…

_ But I did it… and Link does not need to know... _

You washed your hands and then took one of the blankets you were resting on to set it up for Link. Yeah, your ‘bed’ got a little flatter now, but you wanted him to be comfortable. You then moved him to lie by you and by the fire.

After covering him securely with a blanket, you got into your own bed and fell asleep soundly.

Because the leafy camouflage had covered most of the light peeking into the cave, you woke up quite later than usual.

Breakfast was simple again—consisting of a few fresh fruits. You stretched and went outside. Judging from the sun’s high position right above you, you guessed the time was somewhere around noon. 

Grabbing Link’s pants and blanket, you set out to find that same stream from yesterday. Once you arrived, you submerged the pants in the shallow water and began to scrub it with your soap bar. 

Here and there, you’d bring the cloth up to your nose to take a sniff. Once the smell was completely gone, you set the pants aside and worked on the blanket. 

With everything now clean, you wrung them out as much as you could and took them with you back to camp. 

The second you took the leaves off to go inside, you almost dropped your wet materials. Gasping softly, you blinked once, twice, and froze completely in place. 

_“Link?_” you squeaked, losing your voice a bit. 

He was sitting upright with his legs crossed over one another—the blanket covering only the lower half of his body now. He turned to look at you, face full of perplexity. 

After a couple of silent seconds passed, you placed your things on the ground and got to his level. Carefully, you brought him into an embrace.

You were unable to stop the quick and hot tears from streaming down your face, but you managed to bite on your bottom lip to avoid sobbing.

A strong, pounding heartbeat was evident against your chest, but you didn’t know if it was his or yours—maybe it was both. 

He weakly returned the hug, arms wrapping around your body. You quickly pulled away and glanced at his bandaged wound. “_Sorry_,” you breathed hastily. “I didn’t squeeze you too hard, did I?” 

He shook his head, not saying a word. The edges of his lips were curved up slightly, as if he were trying to hold back a smile. His face was full of an emotion you didn’t understand or recognize. 

You averted your eyes so you wouldn’t stare, and wiped them quickly. “There’s... a _ lot _ to say…” you chuckled shyly, but your lips continued to form into a somber frown. “You’re okay...” 

“M-hmm.” Link rested his hand on yours. The touch caught your attention, so you looked back up at him. 

“You did this?” he gestured at his bandaged abdomen. 

“Yeah,” you nodded, recalling the way his lifeless body crashed onto the grass beside you...

“Thank you...” Link said kindly, but he still had _ tons _ of things to ask as well… How did you manage to escape? How did you get here? How long had he been unconscious? Was he... a large burden to you?

But of all the questions he had in his mind, only one in particular called out to him:

_ Where the hell are my pants? _


End file.
